Disabled widows and widowers may be eligible for benefits on the account of their late spouse in these basic circumstances:
- Be 50 or older but less than 60;
- Have become disabled within seven years after either the date of their spouse’s death or the date they last received mother’s or father’s benefits on the account;
- Late spouse have worked a certain number of years under the FICA tax;
- In most cases, not be remarried
Note that this includes widowers. There are more widows than widowers in the world but there’s still a fair number of widowers. The widower claims are often missed because it just doesn’t occur to people that widows and widowers would be treated the same. This is especially important if the late wife earned a good deal more than the widower. Illness or imprisonment can cause this but sometimes it’s just that the wife made more money.
If you’re in NC and want help with your Social Security disability claim, call Hall & Rouse, P.C. at 1-866-425-5347
