To be eligible for this benefit program, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be unmarried.
- Meet the marriage duration requirement.
- Have in your care the deceased's child who is under age 16 or disabled and entitled to child's insurance benefits (for a surviving divorced mother or father the child must be their natural or legally adopted child).
- Not be entitled to a higher Social Security retirement benefit on your own record.
- Not be entitled to a widow's or widower's benefit.
- Be finally divorced from the deceased worker (Surviving Divorced Spouse Only).
Based on the information you gave about:
- Your marital status.
- Length of your marriage to your deceased spouse, and
- Caring for your deceased spouse's child.
You could get Social Security mother's or father's benefits if you are not getting a higher benefit on your own work record.
PLEASE NOTE: If you get (or will get) a pension based on work for an employer who did not withhold Social Security taxes, such as a government agency or an employer in another country, your Social Security benefits may be reduced. Visit SSA’s Publications Page and review A Pension from Work Not Covered by Social Security, Social Security Publication Number 05-10045 and Government Pension Offset, Social Security Publication Number 05-10007.