The legal advocacy group GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) has filed suit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, charging SSA with wrongfully denying survivor benefits to 56-year-old Deborah Tevyaw after the death of her wife, Patricia Baker.
Tevyaw married Baker, a career Rhode Island corrections officer, in Massachusetts in 2005. Baker was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and died in August 2011.
Baker’s final months were spent lobbying for marriage equality in Rhode Island, and trying to ensure Deb’s financial security. But SSA has repeatedly denied survivor benefits to Tevyaw, who as a result has been living on virtually no income for more than three years.
Social Security initially refused in 2012 to provide Deb disabled widow’s benefits and a lump sum death payment, citing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). While Deb appealed this denial, she was living on a disability income of $723 a month. She was forced to sell her home of 38 years, leaving her dependent on friends and family.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Article continues below
“More than a year after the demise of the Defense of Marriage Act, Social Security’s misguided and mistaken application of the law is causing serious harm and distress to people like Deb,” said Janson Wu, GLAD Senior Staff Attorney.
“I’ve lost my wife and my best friend, and Social Security has made that so much worse by telling me that in their eyes, I was not Pat’s wife. Not only is that hurtful and insulting, it has meant that I am living in poverty. I am not looking for a handout; this is money that Pat earned through hard work.” said Tevyaw
