I have a few questions...
I' just turned 46 years old. I only make the the lowest on SSI DISABILITY and my first question is .. how do I get a big raise.. and not $1 !! And my 2nd question is my first husband and I moved to Germany and he was in the Army. Do I get any spousal benefits from SSI ? And if I d ok please give information! And yes I was married a 2nd time and still am... but have NOT been with him for over 15 years! Thank you!

Hi,

If what you receive is Social Security disability (SSDI), I'm afraid there's no practical way to get a big increase in your benefit rate. You could potentially increase the rate by working at a job subject to Social Security taxes, but if you earn a monthly average of more than $1200 for an extended period of time then your SSDI benefits would likely be suspended or terminated. And, if you earn a low enough amount to continue receiving SSDI benefits, any increase in your benefit rate would almost certainly not be a big increase.

If what you're receiving is Supplemental Security Income (SSI), then the maximum monthly amount you can receive is $783. However, SSI is needs based so if you have other sources of income then your SSI rate would be reduced accordingly.

You'd have to be at least age 62 to potentially qualify for divorced spousal benefits on the account of a living ex-spouse, and you couldn't qualify for divorced spousal benefits for as long as your current marriage continues even if you're separated. If your first husband dies and if you were married to him for at least 10 years you could potentially qualify for disabled survivor benefits as early as age 50, but only if your current marriage has ended.

Best, Jerry