A provision exists within the United States Social Security system that can provide benefits to divorced spouses. This provision stipulates that if a marriage lasted for at least a decade, the divorced spouse may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits based on the earnings record of their former spouse. The divorced individual must be unmarried, at least 62 years of age, and the benefit amount is generally capped at 50% of the former spouses full retirement amount. This is applicable even if the former spouse has remarried.
The significance of this regulation lies in its potential to provide financial security to individuals who may have spent a considerable portion of their lives contributing to a household without directly accumulating their own Social Security credits. This can be particularly beneficial to individuals who prioritized raising children or supporting their spouse’s career. Historically, this provision recognized the economic interdependence within long-term marriages and aimed to mitigate potential financial hardship following a divorce.