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Benefits may be payable to a widow or widower with a disability if the following conditions are met:

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

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

A widow or widower cannot apply online for survivors benefits based on their disability but 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.