Mallory

that's right, both the ex-wife and the present wife would draw, but it wouldn't bring his part down. They don't get the full amount though, they get 50% (half).


Or will get their own SS. If their own SS does amount to 50% of his, it will be brought up to that level.

Deedee13

SO IF HE dies.. ( sounds like i am planning a ms marple bloody murder here... I aint just curious) if hubby should die then she gets half and i get half.. but what if he had never been married before or she remarried?

snowbunny

Only if she doesn't remarry. I am now seriously regretting remarrying for this reason.

Tracym

I still can't find that 50% part. According to this link, at least at retirement age, the surviving spouse gets 100%

http://www.ssa.gov/survivorplan/onyourown5.htm

I may be missing something - where are you seeing that 50%?

Tracym

If ex-wife remarries too young, she gets nothing. I'm reading it differently than Mallory, unless she shows me something I'm missing. See the link in my prior post for what it seems to me you'd get.

Seriously though, check out police pensions - that'd probably be more money.

And don't start sharpening the kitchen knives or anything...

snowbunny

remarries at all.....

Deedee13

If you remarry before you reach age 60, you cannot receive deceased spouse's benefits as long as that marriage remains in effect.

If you remarry after you reach age 60, you will continue to qualify for benefits on your deceased spouse's Social Security record. However, if your current spouse is a Social Security beneficiary, you may want to apply for a wife's or husband's benefit on his or her record if it would be larger than your widow's or widower's benefit. You cannot get both.

norfolkbroad

Trouble is I only worked in the UK for a month or so before moving to Germany where I worked for 20 years before coming here. I know I get retirement benefits from there but the sticking point is that I want a pension from Germany separate from the US one, i.e. not combine them so I only get one, if you see what I mean. The Germans say this is possible but the US says no, so I don't know if I can keep it quiet or not!!

Deedee13

i am getting a german one too. You get the german one no matter what. I just got here a few months ago and got it all sorted before i left because like u i worked there for most of my adult life.

Tracym

What part of Germany were you in? I LOVED Germany when I visited - wish I'd taken the chance to move there for a while when I had it.

snowbunny

You guys are going to think I'm horrible, but....

if I divorce or am widowed before I'm 60, I'd qualify for my ex's benefit level.


This makes me feel MUCH better, assuming SSA doesn't change the rules or go bankrupt.

norfolkbroad

Well, that's good to know. Provided there's still some money left in the pot in 10 years time. But when applying for SS benefits over here at retirement age is there a question about other income, i.e. pension from another country? The one person at SS I talked to said that I would have to report the amount I was getting from Germany and if it was more than the US one I would get the German and not the US. Was that a load of crap?

Mallory

I worked in Germany too, in Wiesbaden for 3 years.

Mallory

but wouldn't your own SS be greater than 50% of your ex-husband?

Tracym

Mallory - I still am confused - WHERE are you getting that 50%?