Are civil unions recognized on Social Security benefits?
Civil unions are not legally recognized by the State of Texas, so they are not recognized for the purposes of obtaining Social Security benefits. This means that people in civil unions in Texas are not eligible to receive any of the benefits associated with being married, including Social Security benefits. Federal Social Security law stipulates that only opposite-sex married couples, and couples in same-sex marriages, may receive Social Security benefits. Since civil unions are not recognized under the law in Texas, those in this kind of union are not eligible for the associated Social Security benefits. Since Social Security is a federal program, couples in civil unions in states which recognize these unions will be eligible for the associated Social Security benefits. In states where civil unions are recognized, the law stipulates that couples in civil unions must be treated the same as opposite-sex married couples for matters pertaining to federal programs – such as Social Security. This means that those in civil unions in these states will be able to receive the same Social Security benefits associated with marriage. In short, couples in civil unions in Texas are not eligible for any of the benefits associated with being married – including Social Security – because civil unions are not legally recognized in Texas. On the other hand, couples in civil unions in states which recognize these unions – such as Massachusetts, Colorado, and Connecticut – are eligible for Social Security benefits, as they must be treated the same as opposite-sex married couples in terms of federal programs.
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