Hi ! I’m collecting my deceased husbands Social Security. I had received Social Security Disability, would I be able to receive both checks from Social Security. Thank you for any information.

Hi. No, at least not in full. When a person is eligible for more than one type of Social Security benefit, they can only be paid basically the higher of the two benefit rates. However, if a person is entitled to both a Social Security retirement or disability benefit based on their own earnings history and to a higher auxiliary (e.g. spousal, child) or survivor benefit, they are paid their own benefit in full plus a partial auxiliary or survivor benefit that brings their total benefit amount up to the higher auxiliary or survivor rate.

So, if you're eligible for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits and for a higher widow's benefit rate, then it's possible that you could be collecting both benefits. But, in that event your widow's benefit rate would be offset by most if not all of the amount of your SSDI benefit. The full SSDI benefit plus the partial widow's benefit would then add up to roughly the higher widow's rate.

For example, let's say that Mary is collecting a monthly widow's benefit of $1500, then she becomes entitled to an SSDI benefit of $1000. Mary would then be paid her full SSDI benefit of $1000, but her widow's rate would be reduced to $500. So, Mary's total benefit rate would remain at $1500 in spite of the fact that she's technically entitled to both benefits.

Best, Jerry