I'm new to this community and just created an account because this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 62 and in a very similar situation - trying to claim divorced spouse benefits but missing my ex-husband's SSN and birthdate from a marriage that ended 15 years ago. After reading through all these detailed experiences, I feel like I finally have a clear roadmap. The consistency of success stories when people go in-person, ask specifically for a "Claims Specialist," and use the term "numident search" is really encouraging. I had no idea there were internal search capabilities that phone representatives don't have access to - that explains so much about the contradictory information I've been getting! I'm planning to gather my marriage certificate, divorce decree, and dig through old files for any documents with his name (great tip about tax returns!), then make an appointment at my local office. The former SSA employee's explanation about this being standard procedure really gave me confidence that this is absolutely doable. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timeline - it's amazing how this community has provided more practical guidance than months of official SSA interactions. I'll definitely report back on how my appointment goes and hopefully add another success story to this helpful collection!

I'm a newcomer to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm 63 and facing almost the exact same situation - I need to apply for divorced spouse benefits but I'm missing my second ex-husband's SSN and birthdate from a marriage that ended over 15 years ago. The advice here has been absolutely invaluable, especially learning about the "numident search" process and the importance of asking specifically for a Claims Specialist at the local office rather than dealing with phone representatives who clearly aren't trained on these internal procedures. The former SSA employee's explanation about this being routine procedure really gave me confidence that this is definitely solvable. I'm planning to follow the successful approach so many of you have outlined: make an in-person appointment, bring my marriage certificate and divorce decree along with any old documents I can find with his name, and use the specific terminology about needing assistance with a numident search for divorced spouse benefit purposes. It's amazing how this community has provided more practical, actionable guidance in one thread than months of frustrating phone calls with SSA. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and timelines - it's given me the confidence to finally tackle this process! I'll definitely report back on how my appointment goes.

I'm currently in the exact same situation and this entire discussion has been incredibly helpful! I'm 63 and will be applying for my Social Security benefits in about 6 months. My ex-wife and I were married for 12 years, divorced 19 years ago, and I have absolutely zero contact with her - couldn't get her SSN even if I wanted to try. Reading through everyone's experiences here has completely eliminated my anxiety about this issue. It's clear that the online application makes this seem like a mandatory roadblock when it's actually just optional information for SSA's database. The consistent success stories using the early morning phone call approach (around 8 AM to minimize wait times) have convinced me that's definitely the route I'll take. What I'm taking away from this thread: 1) You absolutely do NOT need ex-spouse SSN for your own retirement benefits, 2) Phone reps can easily mark it "unknown/unavailable" without any delays, 3) Providing whatever basic info you do have (name, approximate birth date) is helpful but not required, and 4) Once your benefits start, there are typically no follow-up requests about this issue. Thank you to everyone who shared their detailed experiences - you've turned what seemed like an impossible bureaucratic hurdle into a straightforward phone conversation. Sometimes hearing from real people who've successfully navigated the system is worth more than hours of trying to interpret government websites! This community support has been amazing.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! I'm 64 and planning to apply for my benefits in the next couple of months. Like so many others here, I was married for over 10 years (14 years), divorced long ago (17 years now), and have absolutely no way to contact my ex-husband or get his SSN. The online application had me completely stumped when I hit that SSN field - I was starting to think I'd somehow be disqualified from getting my own retirement benefits because of missing information about someone I haven't spoken to in nearly two decades! But reading everyone's success stories here has been incredibly reassuring. I'm definitely going to follow the consensus advice and call SSA early in the morning (around 8 AM) rather than continue wrestling with the online form. It's amazing how every single person who used this approach had their application processed smoothly and benefits started on schedule. The fact that phone representatives can simply mark ex-spouse information as "unavailable" without any delays makes this seem so much more manageable. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your detailed experiences - you've transformed what felt like an impossible bureaucratic obstacle into what sounds like a routine 30-40 minute phone call. It's incredible how much peace of mind comes from hearing real stories from people who've successfully navigated this exact situation!

This has been such an incredibly informative thread! As someone who's 65 and just started exploring rental property investment while collecting Social Security, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences and knowledge. What really strikes me is how the confusion around this topic is so common - I've been afraid to pursue rental income for months because I wasn't clear on the rules. The distinction everyone has made between "earned income" (wages, self-employment) versus "passive income" (rental, investments) for the earnings test purposes is crystal clear now. I particularly appreciate all the practical advice about: - Documenting your rental activities to show you're just doing normal landlord duties - Calling SSA to get official confirmation in writing - Understanding that while rental income won't reduce benefits, it may affect taxation - The importance of distinguishing between typical property management and providing "substantial services" Tyler, your question has clearly helped SO many people who are in similar situations! I'm definitely going to follow the advice about calling SSA and asking them to document our conversation in my file. It's reassuring to know that multiple people have successfully navigated this exact situation. Thanks to this amazing community for turning what seemed like a scary, complicated issue into something much more manageable!

As someone who's been navigating Social Security and rental properties for the past few years, I want to echo what everyone else has said - you're absolutely in the clear with rental income! It's considered passive income and won't count toward the earnings test. I started collecting SS at 63 and was terrified about this exact issue when I bought my first rental property. Called SSA multiple times and they always confirmed the same thing: as long as you're just being a regular landlord (collecting rent, basic maintenance, tenant screening), it's not considered self-employment income. One thing I learned that might help - SSA looks at whether you're providing services TO tenants vs. just providing the property itself. Normal landlord stuff like fixing a leaky faucet or showing the unit? That's just property ownership. But if you were running it like a hotel with daily housekeeping and meals, that would be different. The tax implications are separate as others mentioned, but for the earnings test specifically, you're golden. Document everything and get confirmation from SSA in writing for your peace of mind. Good luck with the property purchase!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that you should definitely apply online rather than in person if possible. I applied in person at my local SSA office and it was a nightmare - had to wait 3 hours just to be seen, then the person helping me made several data entry errors that I had to call back to fix. When I compared notes with my neighbor who applied online the same week, her process was much smoother and faster. The online system also gives you a receipt number immediately so you can track your application status. Just my experience, but I'd definitely recommend going the online route first!

I'm in a similar situation - turning 67 next month and getting ready to apply! From reading all these responses, it seems like the key factors are: 1) Apply online for fastest processing, 2) Have all your documents ready (birth cert, SS card, W-2s, bank info), 3) Expect 4-6 weeks realistically, and 4) Apply early in the month if possible. The payment schedule based on birth date is something I didn't know about - that's really useful info! Thanks to everyone who shared their actual timelines. It's so much more helpful than the generic "it varies" answers you get from official sources.

I'm going through something very similar with my ex-wife who owes around $28k in back support. She just started getting Social Security disability benefits last year and I was able to get garnishment set up through my state's child support enforcement office. The process took about 3 months from when I first contacted them to when I received my first payment, but it was absolutely worth the wait. A few things that helped speed up my case: I had all my court documents organized and readily available, including the original support order and any modifications. I also kept detailed records of all missed payments over the years, which helped establish the total arrears amount quickly. One thing I learned that might be useful - they were able to garnish her entire disability backpay lump sum (she got about 18 months of retroactive benefits), which knocked a huge chunk off what she owed me. Make sure you ask specifically about intercepting any lump sum payments when you contact the Texas AG's office. The monthly garnishment amount ended up being about 55% of her monthly benefit since she's not supporting any other dependents. The payments come automatically now through the state disbursement system, so I don't have to deal with trying to collect from her directly anymore. After years of excuses and dodging, it's such a relief to have consistent payments finally coming in. Don't give up - you're about to finally get the resolution you've been waiting for all these years!

This entire thread has been incredibly informative and encouraging! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my ex owes about $52k in back support and just applied for Social Security retirement. Reading all of these success stories and detailed advice has given me the confidence to finally pursue this through my state's child support enforcement office. A couple of follow-up questions based on what I've read here: Has anyone experienced any pushback from Social Security Administration directly, or do they generally cooperate well with state child support enforcement agencies once the proper orders are submitted? Also, I'm curious if anyone knows whether the garnishment can be applied retroactively to benefits he may have already received before the order was processed? I've been hesitant to go through the state system in the past because I had bad experiences with them when my kids were younger, but it sounds like they have much better tools and direct access to SSA systems now. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's amazing how much practical knowledge and hope this thread has provided for those of us who have been dealing with deadbeat parents for years!