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GOBankingRates’ editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services – our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines<\/a> and our products and services review methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n 20 Years Trusted by A recent change to Social Security is already putting more money into the hands of some retirees, including widows and divorced spouses.<\/p>\n The update has led to higher monthly benefits<\/a> for some and lump-sum payments for others, with billions already distributed.<\/p>\n According to the Social Security Administration<\/a> (SSA), more than $17 billion has already been paid to millions of beneficiaries.<\/p>\n The increased payments are tied to a recent Social Security rule change that could mean thousands more for widows and divorced spouses<\/a>. Are you eligible?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Who May Be Eligible<\/p>\n In this case, the new Social Security<\/a> rule mainly applies to widows and divorced spouses whose spouse worked in public-sector jobs where Social Security taxes were not always paid.<\/p>\n This can come up in situations where one spouse spent a career in public service while the other worked in jobs covered by Social Security<\/a>, leaving a gap in how benefits were calculated.<\/p>\n In the past, benefits in these situations were often reduced if the spouse also received a pension from that work, per the SSA<\/a>. In some cases, those reductions significantly lowered or even eliminated spousal or survivor benefits.<\/p>\n With those reductions now removed, some surviving and divorced spouses may qualify for higher benefits than before. Not everyone will see a change, since it depends on each person\u2019s work history and pension, according to the SSA.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Why Payments Are Increasing<\/p>\n Now that those reductions have been eliminated, Social Security<\/a> is recalculating benefits for some retirees and spouses.<\/p>\n That is leading to two changes. Some people are seeing higher monthly payments, while others have received lump-sum deposits covering money that was previously reduced.<\/p>\n In many cases, those payments include retroactive benefits going back to 2024, when the old rules stopped applying.<\/p>\n Per the SSA, increases can range from a small bump to more than $1,000 extra per month, depending on the benefit and pension.<\/p>\n What To Do Now<\/p>\n Some eligible spouses have already seen their benefits increase, but not everyone has been updated yet.<\/p>\n According to an official letter<\/a>, a bipartisan group of senators urged the Social Security<\/a> Administration to ensure that eligible spouses receive the full retroactive payments they are owed, highlighting that some cases may still be pending.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.gobankingrates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/icon-20.svg?webp=1&quality=75\"){kind=icon}
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