Elder Law Answers
Is My Mother Entitled to Her Deceased First Husband's Social Security Benefits?
- March 4th, 2019
Q
My father was killed in 1965. My mother remarried in 1984. Is she entitled to my father's Social Security benefits? She is 83 years old.
A
The answer is probably not. Assuming your parents' marriage lasted at least 10 years (which is necessary to qualify for survivors benefits), the only way she would be entitled to benefits based on your father’s work record would be if (a) she was over 60 when she remarried, (b) she became disabled before age 60, or (c) she divorced her new husband or he passed away.
For more on how divorce and remarriage affect Social Security benefits, click here.