Social Security & You
By Brandon P. Smith, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
Are you getting remarried? If so, we can help you with Social Security related questions regarding your remarriage.
You may be wondering how your new marriage affects your Social Security benefits now or in the future. Remarrying may affect your benefits if you receive (or expect to receive) any of the following:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments – Your SSI eligibility and payment amount may change (or stop) due to your new spouse’s income and resources.
- Surviving spouse or divorced surviving spouse benefits –
- If you remarry before age 50 – You won’t be eligible for survivors or disability benefits as a surviving spouse unless your later marriage ends by divorce or annulment.
- If you remarry between the ages of 50 and 59 – You may be able to get benefits as a disabled surviving spouse (or disabled surviving divorced spouse) if you were disabled and unable to work when you remarried and your remarriage occurred after age 50. If you remarry before you reach age 60 and that marriage ends, you may be able to get benefits on your previous deceased spouse’s record.
- If you remarry after age 60 – You may be eligible for survivors benefits on your deceased spouse’s record or benefits on your new spouse’s record.
- Divorced spouse’s benefits – Generally, if you remarry, benefits paid to you on your former spouse’s record stop. You should report your new marriage to us to avoid being overpaid.
- Children’s benefits (under age 18 or full-time student ages 18 or 19) – Under certain circumstances, we may be able to make payments to stepchildren of a worker who receives retirement or disability benefits.
To learn more about how your new marriage will affect your Social Security benefits now or in the future, read our blog post Will Remarrying Affect My Social Security Benefits at blog.ssa.gov/will-remarrying-affect-my-social-security-benefits.
