If it been less the six months since your spouse is died, you been married for 10 years & the spouse has worked for at least 10 years. Get to your social security office as soon as possible and claim survivors benefits. This will cancel your disability claim if you have one, but you will get your check sooner & won't have to worry abut a payee. You can try after six month but it might be harder to get. You may not even have to work. You can still work & the wages won't count against you.

Widow's benefits start at age 60 and are less than what could be paid at full retirement age, 68. Mother's benefits can be paid at any age if she has a under age 16 child in care who is entitled to auxilliary benefits. Mother's benefits are not reduced for age, but the family maximum requires the benefits be divided among all auxilliaries on the record. The annual earnings test does apply to survivor benefits so earnings over the exempt amount do reduce to widows and mothers benefits. Using your term "wages CAN count against you".

For widow's benefits, the marriage does not have to have lasted 10 years. I can't recall the exact duration requirement - may be one year unless the worker died by accident, then I think it is three months. I could be wrong on those time periods. For divorced spouse benefits or surviving divorced spouse benefits, the marriage has to have lasted 10 years.

For this claimant, unless she is taking care of her minor child under 16, she is not old enough for survivor benefits.

There is also the possibility of disabled widow's benefits but she is not 50 so she is not old enough for that either. Some disabled widows need payees. Some 80 year old widows who have never been determined to be disabled but have been determined incapable need payees. There are survivor beneficiaries who need payees. Doesn't have anything to do with the category of benefit.

I was told differently about survivors benefits by Social Security office. They told me any age. I am going to have to talk to my mother to make sure. She got SS survivors before she was 50. Does it depended on your state?

as for me my wait is for 5months