Posted by Applying for Social Security in 2026 is an adventure especially if you are trying to do something that is less common. This was my first experience with SS, as I was helping my girlfriend navigate the system. She had reached her full retirement age this year and was ready to apply for benefits. She did not have a steady work history, but it was enough to qualify. She is divorced and meets all of the requirements for the divorced spousal benefit. At first, it looked like this wouldn’t give her any extra monthly income, but after adding COLA (cost of living adjustments) we calculated that she could get about $200 more each month.
We found out that she could apply online for the divorced spousal benefit. Although, we would need to bring her marriage/divorce paperwork to the nearest Social Security office. We waited about six weeks until they notified us that they had approved her basic SS benefit. They also said (in a letter) that they would need to make copies of her paperwork within 4-weeks, or they would deny the claim. Two days later we drove to the nearest SS office, which was only 13 miles away. We arrived just after noon, because we heard that they are busier in the morning. We entered the waiting area and took a number. It was only about half full, but it still took about an hour before our number was called. While we waited, a photo of President Trump stared down at us with a look of disapproval. His photo was high on the wall, well out of visitor’s reach.
An efficient SS employee copied her documents. There was no time for questions, so we quickly left. After about a week, we decided to call the number that was in the letter she had received earlier. At least we had the name and number of the person in the Chicago office who was handling her case. It took several days to make contact because they had taken the week after Memorial Day off. When the call was finally picked up, she was informed that they had the documents and would now begin reviewing her application. A few days later, some additional money was deposited into her checking account. We logged into the SS website and saw that they had approved her divorced spousal benefit. For someone who would have only received $640 each month after Medicare, the extra $190 will make a big difference.