Q: After the children were grown, my husband and I separated but remained married even though he was living with another woman for the last decade. He died recently. Can I receive Social Security benefits as his widow even though we have been apart for years?
A: If monthly Social Security survivor benefits are payable, they would be paid to you as the legal widow.
Since you were not living together, usually a one-time payment of $255 originally intended to help offset funeral costs would not be paid to you or the other woman.
Survivor benefits based on your age can begin as early as age 60. For younger widow or widowers with a severe disability, survivor benefits can begin as young as age 50. They are also payable at any age if eligible children are involved. More information is here.
Have you worked enough to be eligible for Social Security retirement on your own work record? If so, you have options to consider. For example, you can start the smaller benefit first at a reduced for age amount and switch to the larger one when you are older and past age reductions for the benefit involved. Discuss your options with a SSA representative.
When eligible for two different types of Social Security benefit, such as your own retirement and as a widow or widower, you receive up to the larger amount, not all of one plus all of the other.
Always contact Social Security about possible benefits when there is a death in the family. You cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online. Call the Social Security national toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 7:00am – 7:00pm local time or contact your local SSA office.