Are you interested in planning for the future?
Yes I would like to prepare in the eventuality that I die.
If you have earned enough Social Security credits through your work, Social Security can help your family financially.
Would my partner benefit from this?
Yes if they have not remarried in the interim and if they take care of your child who is under age 16 or disabled and receives benefits on your record.
Sure. Now I need to ask about Social Security requirements for eligibility, 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?