Benefits For Disabled Widows Or Widowers

If something happens to a worker, benefits may be payable to their widow, widower or surviving divorced spouse with a disability if the following conditions are met:

• He or she is between ages 50 and 60,
• Their condition meets the definition of disability for adults, and
• The disability started before or within seven years of the worker's death.

  Note: If a widow or widower who is caring for the worker's children receives Social Security benefits, he or she is still eligible if their disability starts before those payments end or within seven years after they end.

A widow, widower or surviving divorced spouse cannot apply online for survivors benefits. However, he or she can get the process started by completing an Adult Disability Report before they contact us.

We use the same definition of disability for widows and widowers as we do for workers.