To qualify for benefits as a disabled surviving spouse, you must be divorced from a deceased spouse and meet the following requirements:
- Be at least age 50 but not yet age 60.
- Have been married at least 10 years before the date the divorce became final.
- Meet the disability related requirements.
- Be unmarried, unless the marriage can be disregarded.
- Not entitled to an equal or higher Social Security retirement benefit based on your own work.
Based on the information you gave us about your age, your disability, your current marital status and length of marriage to your deceased spouse, you could get Social Security disabled surviving divorced spouse benefits if you meet all of the following requirements:
- Your former spouse had enough work credits.
- You meet the medical rules for disability benefits.
- You are not getting a higher benefit on your own work record.
To find out more about how Social Security decides if you are disabled, visit SSA’s Publications Page, select "Disability," under "Topics" and review Social Security Publication Number 05-10029.