Divorced Spouse Social Security Calculator
Check the 10-year marriage rule, remarriage rules, and independently-entitled-divorced-spouse eligibility, then estimate the benefit on a living or deceased ex-spouse's record.
Estimated divorced-spouse benefit
$840Maximum possible (at your FRA)
$1,200Independently entitled?
Not needed — ex has filedThis is a guideline estimate of the eligibility gates and the age-reduced amount only. Deemed filing, family maximums, disability, and exact SSA record details can change the payment — see the deemed filing rules and confirm at ssa.gov.
The three eligibility gates
A divorced-spouse benefit requires all three: the marriage lasted at least 10 years before the divorce was final, you are old enough to claim (62 for a living ex, 60 for a deceased ex — 50 if disabled), and you meet the marital-status rule for your case. If your ex hasn't filed for their own benefit, you generally need to have been divorced at least 2 years to claim as an "independently entitled divorced spouse."
Surviving divorced spouse and RIB-LIM
If the ex-spouse has died, you may qualify for a surviving-divorced-spouse benefit worth up to 100% of what they were receiving. If they claimed retirement before their own full retirement age, the "RIB-LIM" rule caps your benefit base at the larger of 82.5% of their PIA or their actual reduced benefit — see the survivor switch-strategy calculator for the full RIB-LIM mechanics and claiming-order comparison.
Divorced-spouse questions
How long do you have to be married to get divorced-spouse Social Security benefits?
The marriage must have lasted at least 10 years immediately before the divorce became final. There is no benefit on an ex-spouse's record for a marriage shorter than 10 years.
Does my ex-spouse have to file for their own benefit first?
Not always. If you've been divorced for at least 2 continuous years and are both 62 or older, you can claim as an “independently entitled divorced spouse” even if your ex hasn't filed yet.
Does remarrying end my divorced-spouse benefit?
For a living ex-spouse's record, remarriage generally ends eligibility unless that later marriage also ends. For a deceased ex-spouse's record (surviving divorced spouse), remarriage at or after age 60 (50 if disabled) does not end eligibility.
Does claiming a divorced-spouse benefit affect my ex-spouse's benefit or their current spouse's benefit?
No. A divorced-spouse benefit is paid separately and does not reduce the worker's own benefit or any other family member's benefit.
Sources
Related Calculators
Social Security Spousal Benefits
Compare a spouse’s own retirement benefit with up to 50% of the worker’s PIA
Social Security Survivor Benefits
Estimate widow or widower benefits from age 60 through survivor full retirement age
Survivor Switch Strategy
Compare claiming survivor benefits early and switching to your own at 70, against the reverse, with the RIB-LIM cap applied
Deemed Filing Rules
Check whether the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 forces a combined retirement-and-spousal claim for your birth date
Child-in-Care Benefit
Full 50% spousal benefit with no age reduction for a spouse or divorced spouse caring for the worker's child under 16