Married for 24 years to my husband. He abandoned us. I divorced him in a newspaper, later to find out he went on Social Security Disability in 2006. He died in 2/2009. I am 62 now and have been collecting a small pension from his Ironworkers local 1 since 2005. I needed it to make ends meet. I have no pension with my job. I am petrified I won't be able to keep pension and eventually collect SSI. He had more paid into SS than I. I will be out of a job when my boss retires in 3 yrs. I will only receive 1200 a month on my SS benefits at age 66. I don't know what my options are. Please help. Thank You

Hi,

Your survivor benefits from your ex's union pension plan won't affect your Social Security options or benefit rates.

It sounds like your best option would be one of the following:
1) File for reduced surviving divorced spousal benefits now or as soon as your earnings will permit benefits to be paid, then switch to your own record at age 70; or,
2) File for reduced retirement benefits now or as soon as your earnings will permit benefits to be paid, then file for unreduced surviving divorced spousal benefits at full retirement age, or sooner if your ex received reduced retirement benefits before he died.

The maximization software available on this website can help you determine which of the above filing strategies is best in your case, as well as when to apply for each type of benefit.

Best, Jerry