Social Security survivor benefits vs. disability - do widow's benefits expire after 7 years?

the ssa people dont know there own rules half the time. my sister was told the same thing but then she went to a diffrent office and got approved for widows disability. you should try calling again and see if you get a diffrent answer or go in person.

There's a lot of confusion around this topic. For disabled widow(er)s benefits, there IS a time limit, but it's not exactly 7 years. You must become disabled within 7 years of your spouse's death OR within 7 years after you were last entitled to survivor benefits (like if you were receiving mother's/father's benefits while caring for young children). This is found in Section 202(e)(1) of the Social Security Act and in SSA's Program Operations Manual System (POMS) at DI 10110.613. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If you were already disabled before your husband passed away or became disabled within the 7-year period, you might still qualify even if you're applying now. The key question is WHEN you became disabled, not when you apply. I'd recommend speaking with a different SSA representative and specifically ask about disabled widow's benefits under Section 202(e) of the Social Security Act. If you believe you became disabled within that 7-year window, make that very clear.

My condolences about your husband. I went thru this 2 years ago and got so many different answers from SS. Every time I called they told me something different! Its so frustrating when your trying to figure this out and just get basic answers.

You're getting some good advice here, but I want to clarify a few points about disabled widow's benefits: 1. The 7-year deadline is real - you must have become disabled within 7 years of your husband's death 2. However, the DATE YOU APPLY doesn't matter as much as when your disability actually began (your "onset date") 3. To qualify for disabled widow's benefits, you must: - Be between ages 50-60 - Be unmarried (or your remarriage occurred after age 50) - Have a disability that meets SSA's definition - Have become disabled within that 7-year period 4. Most importantly: Even if you continued working for a while after the condition began, SSA can establish an onset date during the time you were still working if your condition met their medical criteria at that point I'd recommend getting a documented consultation with SSA where you specifically discuss disabled widow's benefits. Make sure they properly evaluate when your disability began, not just when you stopped working. If you're denied, consider consulting with a disability attorney who specializes in these cases.

DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE SSA PEOPLE TELL YOU ON THE PHONE!!!! I got told THREE different things about my benefits and wasted MONTHS trying to figure it out. The call center people just read from scripts and half of them don't know the actual rules. So frustrating!!!

I had a similar situation last year and was getting nowhere with the SSA phone lines - either waiting for hours or getting disconnected. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. It saved me so much frustration. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally got through, I learned that what the previous rep told me was completely wrong, and I was able to apply for the correct benefits. For something this important with such a big difference in benefit amounts, it's worth making sure you're talking to someone who actually knows the rules about disabled widow benefits.

I'm really sorry about your husband and your health struggles. My mom went through something similar after my dad died. What helped her was writing down EXACTLY when her disability started (with doctor's records to back it up) before she called SSA. Then she kept calling until she got someone helpful. The actual date her disability began was what mattered, not when she applied. Praying you get this figured out! ❤️

One more important thing to consider: If your disability began during the 7-year period but has worsened over time, make sure to emphasize this to SSA. They can establish what's called an "amended onset date" that reflects when your condition first met their criteria for disability, even if you were still working at reduced capacity at that time. Also, if you're denied when you first apply (which happens to many people), don't get discouraged. File an appeal and consider getting representation at that point. The appeals process often has better results, especially when the case involves technical rules like the disabled widow's benefit timing requirements.

my sister didnt apply til like 9 years after but her disability started in year 6 so they still approved her. its when the disability starts not when you apply thats what matters