THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

"Many people think that Social Security is merely a safety net, but in reality, it is the primary source of income for most older Americans as they enter retirement, including LGBTQ+ elders," said SAGE CEO Michael Adams. "Being able to access survivor's benefits will make a world of difference to LGBTQ+ older people who have been denied these well-deserved benefits as they age. SAGE applauds the brave individuals and their lawyers at Lambda Legal who fought in court for these tremendous victories."

For those survivors who can show that they would have been married for at least nine months had there been no unconstitutional exclusion, there is now no obstacle for once partnered or married LGBTQ+ people to apply for Social Security Survivor's Benefits — even if their partner died years ago, even if they were never able to marry, even if they were not married for a full 9 months, even if they have never applied before, and even if they've already begun collecting their own retirement benefits.

The agency has been processing many of these claims since the district court rulings last year, but with the end of these appeals, there is a new group of people who can now pursue benefits — namely, surviving partners who have never applied for benefits in the past. We urge LGBTQ+ elders who may be able to pursue these benefits to view Lambda Legal's FAQ for more information.

SAGE is the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older people and their caregivers. SAGE also advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT elders, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBT community organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, and cultural competency training through SAGECare. With staff located across the country, SAGE also coordinates SAGENet, a growing network of affiliates in the United States. Learn more at sageusa.org .