A marriage of at least 10 years may qualify a divorced Florida resident receive extra government benefits. The rules applying to distribution of Social Security benefits can help an elderly divorced person supplement a fixed income.

Divorce attorneys with property division expertise advise clients to claim bigger Social Security benefits based on the earnings of an ex-spouse. A spouse, whose earlier marriage ended some time ago, may not realize that additional Social Security benefits are available. Increased Social Security benefits are possible if an applicant was married in the past for at least 10 years. The rule is not gender specific, but helps the spouse who earned the least.

Benefits for Social Security may go up for an unmarried applicant older than 62 if an ex has already begun to collect government benefits. If both former spouses are at least 62 and divorced more than two years, it does not matter if an ex is collecting Social Security.

Enhanced benefits are available if a spouse or ex-spouse waits until after age 65 or 66 to begin collecting Social Security. The full retirement age varies according to the year a person is born. More benefits may be allowed if a former spouse died and an applicant is at least 60 years old.

Many people do not realize they have a choice to receive Social Security benefits based on their own work history or the earnings of a living or dead spouse or ex-spouse. A person can collect the greater amount between benefits they earned themselves or those equal to 50 percent of a spouse or ex's benefits. If a spouse or former spouse is deceased, it is possible to collect 100 percent. The current maximum individual benefit allowed is $2,366 per month.

An applicant approved for a Social Security status adjustment may receive up to six months of retroactive benefits.

Claims may also be made even if an ex has remarried. It is not necessary to contact a former spouse to apply for the benefits because the government already has the tax information it needs.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, "When a Divorce Pays Off," Ellen E. Schultz, Jan. 14, 2012