Hi Larry. Thanks for your interest in providing support for complex Social Security questions. My fiancee is 61. She was married over ten years and still working. I am 64, a widower, and collecting Social Security Survivors benefits. We are planning on getting married. It is my understanding that my fiancee will lose the ability to collect Social Security benefits on her ex spouse if we get married, unless we later get divorced. It is also my understanding that my remarriage will not affect my ability to continue to receiving Survivor benefits until age 70 at which time I can take my own benefits. I recently saw something posted from your Sept. 2015 article titled, "A little known Social Security hack for divorcees planning to remarry." My question is: If we marry, can my new spouse collect on my Social Security benefit after she turns 62 and let her's grow til 70?

Hi,

No. Since your fiancée was born after January 1 1954, whenever she files for spousal or divorced spousal benefits she'll be deemed to also be applying for her own retirement benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/deemedfaq.html). Also, you would need to be drawing benefits on your own record in order for spousal benefits to be potentially payable from your record.

Best, Jerry