Yes, it does. A one-time payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the deceased; or, if living apart, was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased's record.
Is there a surviving spouse?
No, I wasn't talking about an actual case. I've just been curious about that.
So, who can receive benefits then?
Certain family members may be eligible to receive monthly benefits, for example a widow or widower age 60 or older, age 50 or older if disabled. Or a surviving divorced spouse.
Could I get benefits if I was a surviving spouse?
Yes, but you can not receive benefits as a surviving spouse while you are married.
And what if, for example, I applied for disability benefits as a survivor: is there any way to speed up the process? I'm asking for a friend.
Yes, there is. You can speed up the disability application process if you complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment. We use the same definition of disability for widows and widowers as we do for workers.
Thank you for explaining. Back to my initial question. What if I was a surviving widow, who is already receiving retirement benefits?