Ask Larry

My mother is 81 years old, lives in Queens NY, married my father in Freeport NY 1961. My parents separated approximately in 1992, my father moved to Hamlet NC. My parents officially divorced in 2004. My father remarried in 2006. While still married to his 2nd wife my father passed away on February 29th 2016. Can my mother, his ex wife collect my father's SS since they were married for so many years? My mother his 1st wife began collecting SS when she was 65.

Hi,

Potentially, yes. The fact that another spouse is already drawing widow's benefits on your father's record is immaterial. However, if your mother receives benefits on her own record, she would only be eligible for additional benefits from your father's record if his benefit rate was higher than her own rate.

Best, Jerry