pattern of widespread remarriage after divorce was. Under the pnxent Social Security system, or any rqxated among middle-aged women. Thus, many of.
Women, Marriage, and Social Security Benefits by Howard M. Iams and Martynas A. Yeas*
The majority of women Social Security beneficiaries receive at least part of their benefit basedon their status as the wives or widows of entitled workers. This article discusses the impact of past and present marital status of women as a factor in establishing eligibility for monthly benefits and the amount of
the benefit payment. The data are drawn from the 1980 and 1985 June Marital History Supplementsto the Current Population Survey. Whether or not they are currently receiving auxiliary benefits, most older women are potentially
eligible for
them basedon their current marital status or past marital duration.
Almost from the beginning of the Social Security program, old-age benefits could be paid to both retired workers and to their wives. Over the years, auxiliary benefits, based on the earnings of a present or former spouse, were made available to eligible widows,divorced wives, and surviving divorced wives.’ These benefits are important to older women. Although an increasing number of women have begun to receive benefits based on their own earnings record, the majority of older women’s Social Security benefit payments continue to be based on the amount of the auxiliary benefits to which they are entitled as wives or widows. In 1985, about 6 in 10 of the 18.4 million beneficiary women aged 62 or older received auxiliary benefits as wives or widows. Among these beneficiaries, about 2 in 10 had dual entitlement-that is, they received a small retired-worker benefit based on their own eamings record and an auxiliary benefit that raised their payment level to the amount they would have received as the eligible wife or widow of an entitled worker. The remaining 4 in 10 of these beneficiaries were receiving monthly benefits based only on their status as wives or widows of entitled workers (table I).’ Among wanen who receive an auxiliary benefit, for wives and divorced wives, the amount of the benefit or combination of benefits is equal to 50 percent of the Tmgmm Amlysis Sdf, Oftice of Rcmwcb d SUstics, Oflia of Fblky, socid security Mmitislntion. VMlltIl my recok l lxiliuy spousalbedits but, ‘Bc4bmmMd repudbss d eligibility, wry fsv mm do a~. %a Buban u ‘%bnen Social Security Beneficiaries Aged 62 Q Older, l%@tlS;’ Sahl Sscnrity Bulletin, March 1987, tabb 3.
spouse’sPrimary Insurance Amount (PIA). For widows and surviving divorced widows, the amount is 100 percent of the deceasedspouse’sPIA. In both instances, the PIA is actuarily adjusted for age at the time of entitlement. Table 2 summarizes various cornbinations of earnings records and marital history that are the basis for entitlement to primary and auxiliary Social Security benefits. In contrast to the majority of womenwho nxeived auxiliary benefits as wives and widows, only about 1 percent of wanen who met the age requirement for benefits received than based on a marriage that ended in divorce’ However, this situation aAd change in the futun. Divorce rates increa& rapidly during the 1960’s and 1970’s.’Rates during this period were even higher than the long-term trend during the past century would have suggestcd,Jand when they finally stabilized in the 1980’s,it was at what is hktorically a very high
kc lmrc irdinuutios see Lenore lw?null, The Divolce Revduth:Tbehmpe&d!hcialandEcaomkCamcquencc3for -em ud t&ildmm h America. New York: The Free Press. 1985; Arbd Tbaaoa uxi Debonb Fmedmm, “fbe Changing American hmily;’ Rqmhtkm BuJktim, &I. 38, No. 4, Cktir 1977; Andrew J. tberlin, Manage, Dkorcc, ad we, Cambridge. Mass.: HARMI Ud~rsity Pmss, l981; Rul C. Glick and Arthur 1. Norton, “Marxyips, Dimrci~g, and Liviq Tb@ber in the U.S. Tcdayr Popnlp&JO Bdletia, W. 32, No. 5, Oftdxr 1977; rad NC&XI, hour 1. and JWE.M oormm, Y!u~~nt TnmJs in Marrirgc and DiAmong Anmriaa Manen,” JaamnJ of Mmimge and the Faadly, %l. 49. No. 1. Fobmary l987, pages 3-14. ‘Ambww 1. Cherlin, op dt.
Social Security Bulletin. Mav 1988/Vol. 51. No. 5
?
lpbk I.-Ftrcentage 1985
distribution d women, by age, current marital status, and total number of marriages, 1980 and
Middk ftge’ culc~~~datut
ages andtaal
htemiddkagc’
olckf age’
1980
1985
1980
1985
1980
1985
13.127
13,168
11,639
11370
11,068
10,950
cuttnt MtEx Neummitd.................... Evcrmarrkl..................... sgrae; . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*...... Divorced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7i.i 4:s 2.1 11.2
5.5 73.1 4.0 3.5 13.9
ii 9:o
7:: 3:o 10.1 10.3
6:‘: 2:3 17.6 7.0
6;: 1:7 25.4 7.4
lbtal number d maniages: None . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................. % . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Three or mat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7z.i IS:2 2.9
7i.z 17:3 3.7
7;: li3 2.8
7a4d 1611 3.0
7:: 16:O 2.9
7z.t 15:7 3.4
l&al ntmlbcr60tbousatl4..... I
bd as ages 35-44 in 1980 and ages 40-49 in 1985. +?ned as ages 4sW in 1980 and ages 5059 in 1985. &fined as a#zs 55-64 in 1980 and ages 6069 in 1985.
level.‘ The gmwing numbers of wunen who have ever divorcd may affect the type of Social Security benefits they rccejvt in future years As part of the process of understanding what role the Social Security program will play as a source of income for wanen retiring in the futurq it is necessary to estimate their potential eligibility for auxiliary benefits. This estination is based on both their current marital status and the duration of any past marriage. Eligibility for a spouse’sbenefit is based on a valid current marriage to an entitled worker, regardlessof duration; for a widcnv(er), benefit eligiiility usually requires the marriage to have lasted at least 9 months.’ For individuak whose marriage ended in divorce, the duration requirement is much more important to eligibility for auxiliary benefits. In these c8ses,a woman must have been married to the entitled worker for at least 10 years. The Social Security Adminktration’s files do not contain this type of marital information for potential applicants. However, the Marital History Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the Bunau of the Census, has included questions about the marital status and marital duration of past and current marriages for most potential wanen benefiiaries. The primary purpose of the CPS is to meaSuIt levels of employment and unanpbyment, but for this pur‘National Cetir for H&h Statistics, AMppl Summprg ol Bitihs, Dsaa&s, Mnrrtrsa, and IGwceaz United Statea 1983, W. 31, No. U, Octdm 5, 1983, ad ‘Births Marriages, Diwxces. and Deaths in February 1987,” Monthly Vibrl Statistic-s Report. W. 36. No. 2, May xl+ 1987. it is possibk to receiw a widow’s benefit ngardkss of the duration d the marriage under certain conditions, such as being the tier of the deceased worker’s child&en).
4
7::;
sourcC: lkkulations from the 1980 and 1985 Marital Hiaory Suppkment to the Current R@atim Survey.
pose its survey universe is quite similar to the Social Security awered population. The CPS includes the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. On one hand, it excludes certain groups covered by Social !kcurity-for cxampk the military, the institutionalized, and certain US. citizens working abroad. On the other hand, it wenstimates the Social security universe because a small minority of the civilian labor force is not covered by Social Security. Never&&s, the coverage rate is high enough-about 88 percent in 1981’~that the CR3 survey unkse is quite similar to the population of potential tmefiiiaries. The 1980 and 1985 Marital History Supplanents to the CPS consequently prwide a base for hating the potential benefit status of most women. This study uses the Marital History Supplement to the June 1985 CPS to examine the potential entitlement to auxiliary benefits of women who were defined as middle aged W-49), older middle aged (S@S9),and older (60-69) in 1985. Figures for the same age cohorts, averaging about 5 years younger, art also taken from the 1980 CPS to indicate the pattern of changes for these groups during Fccent years. These women constitute most of the current and future Social Security fanak be&k&y population until the year 2010. Ikmger wanen am excluded from this study because much of their marital history lies in the future and cannot be used to project eligibility for auxiliary benefits. In addition, the welllncnvn increase in laborforce participation among younger cohorts of women William J. Nelson, Jr.. “Emplynent Cowed by the Social Security Program, 193544: Social Socwity Bulletin, April 1985, pages 33-39.
Social Security Bulletin, May 19881Vol. 51, No. 5
sllggtsts that their lifetime work experknce will be distinctly different from that of women currently in middk and older age Consequently, auxiliary benefits may not play the central role at retirement age for these young women that they do for women currently in middk and older age
Marital Status and Duration of Marriage How many older women are already eligible for an auxiliary spousal benefit based only on their current marital status? Benefits as a wife an potentially available to wanen who are currently married or separated from a fully insured husband; almost all SWviving wives are eiigiile for a widc~‘s benefit. According to data from the June 1985 Marital History Suppkmen~ most older wanen were in these categories. In 1985, about 63 percent of women aged 6069 were currently married or separated; an additional 25 percent were widowed. About 76-77 percent of women in middk age and late middk age (40-49 and 50-59, nspecthely) were currently married or separated; about 3-10 percent were widowed (table 1). Currently divorczd wanen are potentially eligible for spousal benefits only if at kast one marriage had fasted for at kast 10 years. The percent aCdivonxd women in the CPS sampk varied inversely with age: Among wanen aged 6@69, about 7 percent were currently divorced, campared with 14 percent of those aged 40-49. Most of these women met the Social Security duration~maniage requirement. Among lpbk 2.-Entitlement Marital
hismy
older divonxd women, only 18 percent had not been in a marriage lasting 10 years, but some of than had been widmved and thus were potentially eligible for an auxiliary benefit. Overall, only 1 percent of older warm who had ever married were rU potentially ehgiik for an auxiliary benefit (table 3). The percentage d divorced women with kss than 10 ~rs in any marriage varies inversely with age, tanging from about 18 pement in older age, and about 22 percent in late middk agq to about 33 percent in middk age These divorced wanen are only a very modest 2 percent of ever-married warren in late middk age and about 5 percent of evermarried wanen in middk age Even these ratios probably overstate the potential numbers of wanen ineligible for auxiliary benefits. Despite trends in divorce rates during recent decades, few older wanen (about 7 percent) are currently divorced and still fewer (about 1 percent) receive auxiliary benefits as divorced or surviving diorud wives. In part, the limited percentage of women claiming benefits as a divorced spouse mfkcts the fact that many divorced wanen are eligible for higher benefits based on their own earning in awered employment rather than on the earnings records d their former spouse men who have spent only a small portion of their adult life in marriage are likely to have a substantial worCng career and thus to be unaffected by ineligibility for auxiliary benefits. In part, the proportion of women claiming benefits is ako lmited because few of them remain divorced. Although 18 percent of the older wanen included in the June 1985 Marital History Supplement had ever divorad (table 4), more than twothirds of them even-
to auxiliary and primary benefits based on marital history and insured status
and inured
status
ktitcd-waker
spousal bcncfitS’
bencfits
Married cr ~cgarated: FuIly instmcd. . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nd instad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Earned None
up to 50ptrccnt d spolroe’s PL(
wi&wd Fully insucd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not inud. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . .. .. .. .. .
Earned Nom
Up to 100 percent of spot&s P$ up to loo peram of !qou5c’s PIA
Ilivaracd with10 yeus of marriqv: Fully issued. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Earned
If spouse Iving. btncfits for married cx separated women pply. if spouse dcacascd, benefits for widwd women 4JPlY.
Nat
insued.
........................
Up to SO percent d spomc’s PL4
None
his than 10 years of marriage: Fully hued. ........................ Not insutd ..........................
Earned None
hl h&s m paid if auxiliary benefits cxacd rcti~~&~~ker benefits. ‘Ibe two benefit amounts TIC oot cmnbiocd; the hi hefit mount is paid Ibc mount in exam of the retired-waker bcoefrt is tbc auxiliary benefit -t.
mamt (PM) is the monthly mount payabk to a ‘The prplary mm et&d norku who hegins to ICC&K bmcfits at rge 65 or to a disabled-w&r badsciary who has mu received a retied-uakn benefit.
Social Security Bulletin, May 19881Vol. 51, No. 5
5
‘Jhbk 3.-Rrcentage distribution of curnntly divorced wanen, by duration of marriage and age, 1985 Older age’
d Rfoult d ever murkd
status’ and dwationofmahlre MKitd
Ibulevwmuried.... -l&l ammly &wad. First mai-. . . . .. . . . . .. . Prcviooslywihd ........ Previously dvorad . . . . . . . . .
12.443 1.827 12%
i4.i
10.4
827
KG.6 69.3
ifi
4::
3::
2::;
4.8 2.8
265 161
.l 1.9
79::
Lcssthan10ycursinonc mmiage ................ Erst mnrriw ........... PmioIlsly widmvcd ....... r4eviously dvorad ....... 10ycasarmcweinone marrirgr: ................ First msriagc. .......... Rcviolnly widowed. ...... Revioraly divorad .......
597
32.7
352 2;
19.3 .6 12.8
1330 944
67.3 51.7
2::
14::
11,100 lJ94
‘Currently xparatcd vanen arc inch&d with marrkd vmmcn. Wumcn who a both My ilimmd md widowed IIC inch&d with prcvioudy wipavcd wtuzn. afiaed u clpcs 35-44 in 1980 and ages 4049 in 1985.
‘EMe 4.-Rnxntage
10.483 806
KiCki
‘7.i
565 184
70.1 23.8 6.1
5.4 1.8 .5
22.2 13.5
2.4
1.5
146 90
18.1 11.2
1.4 .9
9:
8::
:;
488
i:8
1:
929 666
17.8 55.8
ii::
475 660
2::
1:
58.9 81.9 18.0 5.0
t: 1.4 14
1;:: :Mmcd IS es Deftned as es Sarroe: lthkims
Cumznt hpulbon
lbtal number @ntbousan4 ..... Ncwmarkd ., .................... Evcrmrricd ........................ Everwidoarcd ..................... chmt,y remarkd. .............
tim
the 1985 Marital
History Supplement
to the
Surwy.
Ever dvorad ....................... brcnt!y rcmaricd ................ Chemly wihd but previously &wad ........................ Cwnmly &wad. ................ From rust mrriagc .............. From subsqucnt marriage ........
1980
1985
1980
1985
13,127
13,168
11639
11570
ll.Oa8
10,950
9:::
9:::
9:::
9::;
9:::
9:::
1.7
f:4
13.5 3.2
22.2 4.5
30.1
.2
.2
.3
.3
.5
.4
2.1 1.6
3.5
6.9
10.1
17.6
2.9
.5
.6
5.4 1.4
P8
14.2 3.5
25.4 20.5 4.8
25.2 13.5
29.1
21.5
22.4
14.6
11.4
10.7
17.8 8.4
17.6 7.2
.5
.6
1.1
1.4
2.4
3.0
11.2
13.9 9.8
9.0
10.3
7.0
7.4
4::
3::
:::
i::
it!:
as es 35.44 in 1980 and @es 4049 in 1985. as -E 4554 in 1980 and ages 5059 in 1985. as ups 55-64 in 1980 and ws 60-69 in 1985.
01&r age’
1985
1.5
bvcrad but pnzviously ........ ... .............
he mid& &
1980
3.8
Cwcmly widtlwtd ................. Fran fist mafiegc .............. Rum rubscqutnt marriag. .......
6
45-54 in 1980 and ages 5059 in 1985. 55-64 in 1980 and ages 60-69 in 1985.
of women by marital status and age, 1980 and 1985
Marital statm
)Mocd ,Dhed Ikhed
Rrant of evtr married
7.5 3::
Middleage’
Tsd
ham d antmly dvarad
id.i
2::
2::
Btal number
5.4
4.0
su$iz”t
lhbuhths fan the 1960 and 1985 Marital Hhory m the current Rlpulaim sumy.
Social Security Bulletin, May 19881Vol. 51, NO. 5
4.8
have been mar&i the requimll0 years, and indeed tually ranarrkd. Most runarrkd women did not subsemost d than also will me& the former, more restricquentiy divorce again, kaving only about 7 percent of tive 20-m durationofmarriage requirement. these older women in currently divorced status. This Under the pnxent Social Security system, or any pattern of widespread remarriage after divorce was revision that continues to give credit for long-lasting rqxated among middle-aged women. Thus, many of the curmntly ineligible divorced women in middle or marriages, spousal benefits will be an important option for many women at kast through the j4!ar 2010, when late middle age can be expected to remarry before ntiranent age and become eligiik for spousal (or the wancn in thae age cohorts will all have reached widcw’s) benefits frun the remarriage by the time they Et&tent age Not only have the vast majority of older wanen been married, but their marraiges have Mire lasted for most d their adult lives. Older women spent Rtential eligibility for an auxiliary benefit might be more than four-fifths of their adult years in marriage overestimated if it S predicted on the basis of current (tabk 6). MOE than 9 in 10 older wOrnen had already marital status. Wrnen who are m married might betnmarriedatkaslU)~rsatthcthnedtheCPS divorce before retinxnent and then face a IO-year duraandmorcthantwothitdsofthanhadbeenmarried35 tion test. Even sq the gnxt majority of married yars or more These durations predictably varied by wanen aged 50 or older have been married long marital status--thy were bngest among wanen who enough to qualify for auxiliary benefits (tabk s). By were currently marrkd or separated and shortest the time they reach old age, virtually all of than will pble 5.--Percentage distribution of longest marriage, for ever-married women, by age, 1985 Dwationd lonsesfmarriage l&al nlmbcr (n thoosmdJ
Less than 10 yers
10 years OT morr: Lpc mid&
........................ cumltly mulied: First mtiagc ..................... Reviotsly widmvcd ................ Reviiraly chord ................
95.8
17.8
82.2
7,138 366 1.239
.6 :3
99.4 94.1 97.0
2.7 45.5 44.2
97.3 54.5 55.8
7.1 11.7 11.9
92.9 88.3 88.1
25.2 2:
74.8 45.9 44.3
3::
19.5 16.7 29.4
80.5 83.3 70.6
53.0 60.7 74.2
47.0 39.3 25.8
10,483
3.2
96.8
11.7
88.3
5.585
.6
99.4 E
1.7 16.9 17.3
98.3 83.1 82.7
14.6 27.9 41.2
85.4 72.1 58.8
42.4 44.0 62.7
57.6 56.0 37.3
clrrultly bvcrccd: From fust mar&. ............... PhyiowJy widowed ................ Fkviously divwced ................
827
Cunntly widowed: F&o fu6t marriage. ............... Reviou5ly widowed ................ Ikviously dvord ................ clrmlt1y divorad: Fran fust marriage ................ Rcviously widmved ................ Reviously divorad ................
20parsarmon
4.2
927
Cunotly married: First msriagt ..................... Reviously widowed ................ Rviously divorced ................
than 20 yters
11.100
anentlywidawtd: Fium fti mari*. ............... Previously widowed ................ Rvioudy dvora4! ................
1E
?btal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . .
Its
p&l
%
2245
2::
E
202 332
10:6
if: 8914
565 49 192
15.9 17.3 24.7
84.1 82.7 75.3
‘Cunently spmled women m in&&d with mu&d vmmen. Wanen who me both pevpculy &aced md witid arc includtd with prcvimidy widawcdwmm. *afntd as ws 5059 in 1985.
Social Security Bulletin, May 19881VoI. 51, No. 5
7
‘ILbk Q.-Percentage distribution and avenge duration of all marriages for ever-married women, by age and marital status, 1980 and 1985 kcage
Number
I$I thousands)
1980
Fkwmag:
1985
1980
distribution
ntnnbcr of )cars
married
1985
Ftrcznt of pxrs married sinac age 21
1980
1985
1980
1985
Lamiddkl& 11,130
11,100
100.0
100.0
24.5
28.1
85.9
85.5
Cmcntly m&d. ............. First mari*. .............. Rwiously widwd .......... Rcviol,dy divorcul ...........
T% ‘296 1,332
8,143 7.138 366 1239
83.4 68.8 2.1 12.0
78.8 64.3 3.3 11.2
25.8 26.3 23.3 23.3
30.8 31.6 26.8 21.4
90.5 92.4 19.4 81.6
91.8 94.1 78.3 82.8
Cwrcntly wirbwcd ............. From fii marriage .......... Rcviotnly widowwl .......... Rcviously divorozd ...........
798 631
1.163 927
10.5 8.4
1;;
1:
1.2 5.7 .3 1.2
20.4 20.8 20.0 18.6
23.9 24.2 21.0 23.8
69.0 70.3 66.0 63.4
69.5 70.3 61.8 68.8
1,045 134
1,194 821
ii::
10.8 1.5
2:
3::
2::
16.5 16.7 16.9 15.9
18.2 18.1 21.1 18.3
58.5 59.2 61.4 56.3
54.2 62.0 54.7
. . . .. .. . . .. . . .. . . ..
Cwnntly
dvaracd.
. . . .. . . . . . . .
Fium frst marriage.. . . . . . . . . Fkviousiy widwed . . . . . . . . . . Fkviotnly
divorad
. . . . .. .. .. .
If
:: CMcr 8ge’
l&al ...................
1096
10,483
100.0
100.0
31.9
35.4
83.5
82.0
Cwrcntly married. ............. Fti marriage ............... Previously v&wed .......... Rwiously divoracd ...........
7,822 6,392 496 934
6,898 5,585 523 190
14.2 60.6 4.7 8.9
65.8 53.3
34.2 35.0 30.8 31.0
39.1 40.0 35.2 35.5
89.8 91.8 19.1 81.9
90.9 92.9 81.6 82.8
Curcntly widowed. ............ From fust marriage .......... Fkviously widawed .......... Fkviously divorad ...........
1.952 w9 120 263
2,119
2246
18.5 14.9
26.5 21.4
202 332
:::
::;
21.3 21.8 24.1 25.9
30.5 30.9 29.4 28.4
70.1 71.2 61.8 66.8
69.2 70.0 66.8 65.3
Cunntly divorced. ............ Fran fm marriage .......... Reviously widcnved .......... Previously divorced. ..........
713 499 56 218
807 565 49 192
7.3 4.1 .5 2.1
::: .5 1.8
20.4 20.8 20.1 19.7
21.3 21.1 27.0 20.5
53.9 55.1 52.3 51.6
50.0 49.4 62.1 48.1
hmently spited nunen n ineluded with m&d wxncn. Wana n both pdously moreed and wicbwd me h&&d with prcvhudy withed-. ‘M-d as ws 45-54 in 1980 and ages 5&59 in 1985.
who
among cuntntly divoti women. Naturally, the marriage durations of the relatively munger latemiddkaged and middk-agal women were somewhat shorter on average,but they were already substantial. Based on the experience of the recent past, this stabk pattern is likely to continue well into the future This stability can be clearly Seenwhen the 1980 and 1985 Marital History Supplements are both used to compare the experiences of different age cohorts. The percentages of women who ever married remained relatively constant at around 95 percent for late middle and older age groups (table 4). The only systematic change as the cohorts aged, not surprisingly, was an incrwse in widcnvhood. This status increased in all age groups, but the proportion ever widuxd rose markedly with age-from 10 percent to 14 percent of
::i
‘Kkfmcd as ws 55-64 in 1980 and ages 6069 in 1985. Snura: ‘ILbulrtians fmm the 1985 Marital History Supplement to the CUP lwlt Rlpullthn !klmy.
late-middle-aged wanen and from 22 percent to 30 percent of older women. Because the majority of widows do not marry, the proportion of currently widaved wanen also increased markedly. By comparison, despite historically high divorce rates, the prevalence of divorce remained relatively constant among wanen in the late middle and older age cohorts. The percent of everdivorced wanen increased slightly-from 25 percent to 29 percent-among middle-aged women. About half of them had remarried so the percentage of both curmntly remarried and currently divorced women increased.
Summary and Conclusion Among older beneficiary men, for three out of five the amount of their monthly benefit was determined by
Social Security Bulletin, May 19881Vol. 51, No. 5
their receipt of an auxiliary benefit as a past or present spouse.Nearly all older women appear to be potentially eligible fbr an auxiliary benefit on the basis of their current marital status or their marital history. The only significant exceptions were the 4 percent of older women who never married and the 1 percent who were currently diwxced after having been married less than 10 years. Although divorce rates have been rising in the past decades,@day few women (only 1 percent) claim benefits as a divorced spouse. In part, this situation may be a result of the hct that many divorced women are en-
titled to a higher retired-wrker benefit based on their owneamingsthantheamounttowhichthqwouldbe entitled as a fwmer spouse. In part, it may Fesult from the fat that few women divorce and remain divorced. At dder ages most ewzrdivorced women had remarried, and veryznVhaddiwrcedfiumaremarriage.Th~only about 7 percent of the older women were currently diMxccdandmostofthemappeartohavepotentia1 eligibility fbr auxiliary benefits. Only about 1 percent of dder ever-married women reported both dimrcing and tailing tD meet the lOyear duration requirement.
Social Security Bulletin, May 19881Vol. 51, No. 5
9
