I live in Illinois. I worked over 10 years at a local utility company. I was married for 22 years. What I would get from Social Security would be about $400/month less than collecting from my ex-husband. I went back to college & got a Masters of Social Work degree. I've been working temp jobs at schools (i.e. no benefits, no security.) I should be able to get social security from my ex beginning at age 67 years & 4 months, even if I don't retire. Problem is, can I collect this & still work in schools? I was planning to work into my early 70s if my health holds out (looking so-so for now.) So, can I collect off my ex-husbands SS account while working in schools? If I work in schools longer, will my rate of retirement pay go up more at age 70 like it does with Social Security?? I think my age is (unofficially) impacting my ability to get perm employment. Most schools offer a plan that if you work x number of years & notify them x number of years in advance of retirement, the retirement benefits are greater. I do not believe my health will hold out that long as I am already having concerns. I appreciate any advice you can offer.

Hi,

You can potentially collect Social Security benefits at full retirement age (FRA) regardless of how much you are earning. Your FRA may be anywhere from 66 to 67 depending on your year of birth (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/agereduction.html).

However, if you receive a pension based on work and earnings that were exempt from Social Security taxes it could affect your ability to receive benefits on your ex-spouse's record. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision can cause withholding of divorced spousal benefits in the amount of 2/3rds of the full rate of the government pension (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf).

You likely have numerous options with regard to drawing Social Security, but the best strategy depends many factors. You should strongly consider using the maximization software available on this website in order to explore your filing options and determine your best strategy.

Best, Jerry