I get a N.J. pension. Can I also get my ex’s Social Security?
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
Q. I am a 59-year-old male, retired and receiving a New Jersey public pension. I was married for 15 years and divorced 20 years ago. She is now 57. I have very few quarters paid into Social Security from working part-time in grocery stores during high school and college. The career I retired from didn’t take Social Security deductions. When I turn 65, I planned to sign up for Medicare for the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program. I would get reimbursed for the premiums from my former government employer. Can I apply for Social Security benefits and Medicare through my ex-wife? Do I have to wait until she is age eligible or when I turn 62? How does the “windfall penalty” work?