Divorced clients can get spousal Social Security benefits

Claiming a spousal benefit could offer greater supplementary income for a divorced client during retirement

When couples divorce, one of the most talked about difficulties is the division of assets – separating everything owned as a couple. The way those assets are split up could have a great effect on retirement plans.

Many divorced Americans said that the dissolution of their marriage adversely affected their retirement plans, according to the 2025 Annual Retirement Study* from the Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement™, part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life). Among divorced Americans, 40% said it derailed their financial retirement strategy, and 34% said their divorce set their retirement plans back.

Financial professionals can help their clients mitigate the effect of divorce on their retirement strategy by incorporating risk-management strategies. Clients can address risk by increasing the proportion of retirement income from guaranteed sources like an annuity, a pension, and Social Security. Americans who gave been divorced may be able to increase their Social Security payments by claiming spousal benefits.

What happens to Social Security benefits after divorce?

Social Security benefits are not divided when a couple divorces. But an ex-spouse can claim spousal benefits through the Social Security Administration.

Most couples are not comprised of two equal wage earners. One spouse may have opted out or reduced their time in the workforce during their marriage. This would result in that spouse having lower earnings, resulting in lower benefits through Social Security.

If divorce has affected your client’s retirement plan, claiming a spousal benefit could offer greater Social Security income for a divorced client during retirement. Of course, Social Security is just one part of a financial plan for retirement.

How divorced spousal benefits work

A client may be eligible to receive a spousal benefit based on their ex-spouse’s earnings history if they meet certain criteria. The claiming spouse will need their ex’s Social Security number, proof of marriage, and final divorce decree to make the claim, and may need to meet additional conditions:

  1. The marriage lasted for at least 10 years.
  2. If the ex-spouse who is the worker has not applied for retirement benefits, the couple has been divorced for at least two years.
  3. The person claiming spousal benefits is not married at the time of application.
  4. The person is age-eligible – age 62 or older.
  5. The Social Security benefit for the claiming spouse is less than the benefit based on their ex-spouse’s earnings history.
  6. The ex-spouse is age eligible. The ex-spouse does not need to be collecting benefits in order for a spousal benefit to be claimed.

An ex-spouse who files for divorced spousal benefits would receive benefits based on either their own work record or their ex-spouse’s work record. The claiming ex-spouse would receive benefits based on whichever benefit is greater but cannot claim both.

Collecting a Social Security divorced spousal benefit will not diminish the worker ex-spouse’s benefits at retirement. The claim is confidential – the worker will not know if the ex-spouse filed a claim.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the rules involving Social Security benefits for divorced spouses. For example, there are also rules for surviving divorced spouses and rules related to continuing to work when applying for divorced spousal benefits. More information is available from the Social Security Administration.

A divorce can have a profound effect on a person’s finances long after they sign the papers. A financial professional can help them assess their options for how to fund retirement.

* Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement™ conducted an online survey, the 2025 Annual Retirement Study, in January/February 2025 with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 respondents age 25+ in the contiguous U.S. with an annual household income of $50K+ (single) / $75K+ (married/partnered) OR investable assets of $150K+. The study also included an additional sample of respondents who identified as Black/African American (400 responses); Hispanic (404 responses); Asian/Asian American (364 responses); and divorced (166).

The Allianz Center for the Future for Retirement™ produces insights and research as a part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.