Do I Qualify for Widow or Widower Social Security Disability Benefits?
If your spouse qualified for and collected Social Security Disability benefits, that means they worked and paid into the system. Their efforts may make you eligible to collect a portion of those benefits.
To collect what Social Security calls “Disability Widow(er) Benefits,” you must have a qualified disability on your own. This is different from survivor benefits, which allow you to collect your deceased spouse’s retirement benefits once you reach age 60.
To gain widow or widower disability benefits:
- You must be between 50 and 59 years old
- You must have a qualified disability under Social Security, which means you paid into Social Security and your own health impairment prevents you from working at any job for at least a year.
- Your disability must have begun before your spouse died or within seven years of their death. If you’re caring for your deceased spouse’s minor children, that seven-year period doesn’t start until those benefits stop—giving you extra time to qualify for widow or widower disability benefits.
With the disability lawyers at Silver & Archibald, you get a caring, compassionate team that can walk you through the complicated math to understand your eligibility and help you apply for disability benefits.
You can ask us about your case without paying any charges or attorneys’ fees. Get your FREE claim evaluation.
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How do I Apply for My Deceased Spouse’s Disability Benefits?
If you’re the right age and have your own qualifying medical impairment, you may be able to collect 71.5% of your deceased spouse’s disability benefits.
But you can’t just inherit your spouse’s benefits. You have to apply and qualify for them, too, under Social Security’s rules for widow or widower disability eligibility.
To start a claim, you must collect some important information first:
- Proof of your spouse’s death (death certificate)
- Your birth certificate
- Proof you were married (marriage certificate)
- Documentation of your divorce if you are applying as a divorced spouse
- Social Security forms that show you have a qualifying medical impairment
- Records of work history that show you have paid into Social Security but had to stop working
Let the disability attorneys at Silver & Archibald take some of the weight off your shoulders during a difficult time. We can help you put determine whether you’re qualified for widow or widowers’ disability benefits, help you put your application together, and even handle an appeal if your benefits are denied.
Our experience with the Social Security system in Georgia gives you a local advantage you won’t get from a big national firm.
You deserve the peace of mind that comes with having the best legal team who cares about you, your family, and protecting your financial security after a heart-breaking loss.
Get to Know Silver & Archibald Disability Attorneys
Legal cases involving your health struggles are highly personal matters. When you’re looking for help, you want someone who treats you with the personal care, respect, and dignity this moment requires.
Answers to Common Questions About Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability is a huge program with a vast set of rules. As a resource for you as you sort out your disability claim, the disability lawyers at Silver & Archibald have prepared answers to some of the most common questions people have.
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