Hi Larry,

1) I was married for over ten years and then divorced.
2) My ex-wife is 63, has applied for and received a social security disability.
3) The ruling was in July of this year.
4) I am 65 and will turn 66 in January of 2017.
5) I would like to receive divorced spousal benefits until I'm 70 and then draw on my own account.

Can I draw on my ex-wife's divorced spousal benefits until I'm 70?
If the answer is yes, when can I start drawing it?

Hi,

Yes, you can, provided that you aren't remarried. The first month that you can become entitled to a divorced spousal benefit without also being deemed to file on your own account is the month you reach full retirement age, which appears to be January 2017 in your case. If you happen to have been born on January 1st, however, you could potentially start with December 2016. Note that Social Security benefits are paid a month behind, so payments for January are actually paid in February.

Best, Jerry