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 entered about your age, your current marital status and length of marriage to your deceased spouse, you meet most of the requirements for Social Security disabled surviving divorced spouse benefits. However, since you are working, you may not meet the legal definition of disability.
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.