Widower
(1)#
The term “widower” (except when used in the first sentence of section 402(i) of this title ) means the surviving husband of an individual, but only if (A) he is the father of her son or daughter, (B) he legally adopted her son or daughter while he was married to her and while such son or daughter was under the age of eighteen, (C) she legally adopted his son or daughter while he was married to her and while such son or daughter was under the age of eighteen, (D) he was married to her at the time both of them legally adopted a child under the age of eighteen, (E) except as provided in paragraph (2), he was married to her for a period of not less than nine months immediately prior to the day on which she died, or (F) in the month before the month of his marriage to her (i) he was entitled to, or on application therefor and attainment of age 62 in such prior month would have been entitled to, benefits under subsection (c), (f) or (h) of section 402 of this title , (ii) he had attained age eighteen and was entitled to, or on application therefor would have been entitled to, benefits under subsection (d) of such section (subject, however, to section 402(s) of this title ), or (iii) he was entitled to, or on application therefor and attainment of the required age (if any) he would have been entitled to, a widower’s, child’s (after attainment of age 18), or parent’s insurance annuity under section 231a of title 45 .
(2)#
The requirements of paragraph (1)(E) in connection with the surviving husband of an individual shall be treated as satisfied if—
(A) the individual had been married prior to the individual’s marriage to the surviving husband,
(B) the prior husband was institutionalized during the individual’s marriage to the prior husband due to mental incompetence or similar incapacity,
(C) during the period of the prior husband’s institutionalization, the individual would have divorced the prior husband and married the surviving husband, but the individual did not do so because such divorce would have been unlawful, by reason of the prior husband’s institutionalization, under the laws of the State in which the individual was domiciled at the time (as determined based on evidence satisfactory to the Commissioner of Social Security),
(D) the prior husband continued to remain institutionalized up to the time of his death, and
(E) the individual married the surviving husband within 60 days after the prior husband’s death.