A family benefit is a monthly Social Security check for a family member based on your work record. Many people don’t know about family benefits. As a result, they sometimes lose benefits they could otherwise have received if they’d only known they were eligible for...
In November 2015, some key rules in the Social Security program were changed in provisions embedded in the Bipartisan Budget Act. The new rules essentially make spousal benefits less important. Here’s why. Prior to the big changes, you could file for spousal benefits...
Unfortunately, the answer is no. You must be sixty-two even if you are caring for a child of your ex-spouse who is younger than sixteen, or if you are taking care of your ex-spouse’s child who became disabled prior to turning twenty-two. If your ex-spouse dies and you...
The answer is yes, but you and your spouse have to meet certain eligibility requirements. Your spouse must be sixty-two and drawing Social Security retirement benefits, or your spouse must be receiving Social Security disability benefits. You have to be caring for...
The Social Security Administration has what’s known as a family maximum. In other words, the SSA won’t pay out an unlimited amount in benefits to various members of a family who are drawing benefits on a worker’s record. In most cases, you will be drawing retirement...
If you were applying for spousal benefits as a current spouse, your spouse would have to be drawing retirement benefits for you to be eligible. But as an ex-spouse your former spouse only has to be sixty-two. He or she doesn’t have to be drawing retirement benefits....
