If you have been married for at least ten years, you are entitled to collect Social Security based on your former spouse’s earnings as long as you are not married at the time. If your former spouse remarries, and you do not, you remain entitled to collect Social Security based on the former spouse’s earnings record. Your collecting benefits based on your former spouse’s record has no impact on their entitlement to Social Security benefits and does not impact the amount of benefits they will receive (it also does not impact their new spouse’s right to spousal Social Security benefits).