{"id":10663,"date":"2025-02-23T19:44:23","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T19:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=10663"},"modified":"2025-02-23T19:44:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T19:44:23","slug":"if-i-remarry-will-i-lose-my-late-husbands-social-security-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=10663","title":{"rendered":"If I Remarry, Will I Lose My Late Husband\u2019s Social Security Benefits?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"ScoreCard<\/p>\n

Dear Penny,<\/span><\/p>\n

I was married to my deceased husband for 38 years. I collect his benefits. If I marry again, do I still get the same amount of Social Security benefits?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dating Widow<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Dear Dating,<\/p>\n

If you remarry, the amount you receive in Social Security benefits might change \u2014 but only in your favor.<\/p>\n

As long as you\u2019re 60 years old or older when you remarry (50 if you\u2019re disabled), you can continue to draw your survivor\u2019s benefit from your late husband\u2019s Social Security account. You\u2019ll also become eligible to draw a spouse\u2019s benefit from your new spouse\u2019s account. But you wouldn\u2019t receive two full payments \u2014 in total, you\u2019d receive a combination of benefits from the two accounts that\u2019s equal to the higher amount.<\/p>\n

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In other words: You might keep getting the same amount you\u2019re getting now, or you might get a higher amount if your new spouse\u2019s account comes with a higher benefit.<\/p>\n

This is available to you because you were married to your deceased husband for at least 10 years. Less than that, and you wouldn\u2019t be eligible to keep drawing survivor\u2019s benefits. You\u2019d also lose those benefits if you married before age 60 (or 50 if you\u2019re disabled).<\/p>\n

Once you turn 62 and up until age 70, you have the option to switch from either your survivor\u2019s benefits or spouse\u2019s benefits to your own retirement benefits (if you have them). You can choose which you receive, so you can always get the highest amount you\u2019re eligible for.<\/p>\n

Dana Miranda is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance\u00ae and author of YOU DON\u2019T NEED A BUDGET. She writes <\/em>Healthy Rich<\/em><\/a>, a newsletter about how capitalism impacts the ways we think, teach and talk about money.<\/em><\/p>\n

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