My wife and I recently married. She is 67 and was (until our marriage) collecting social security based on her ex-husband's earnings. I am 66 and have not yet filed for social security. Does she have to wait one year to begin collecting based on my earnings?

Hi,

If your wife was receiving divorced spousal benefits up until the month you married, she would not need to meet the 1 year duration of marriage requirement in order to be entitled on your record (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0300202001). However, she can't receive spousal benefits on your record until you start drawing your benefits. You may want to strongly consider running the maximization software available on this website in order to determine the best filing strategy for you and your wife.

Best, Jerry