On Friday, the Social Security Administration announced that it
has begun processing benefits for married gay and lesbian couples.
Carolyn W. Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security, made
the announcement in a brief written statement.
“I am pleased to announce that Social Security is now processing
some retirement spouse claims for same-sex couples and paying
benefits where they are due,” Colvin said. “The recent Supreme
Court decision on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, made just
over a month ago, helps to ensure that all Americans are treated
fairly and equally, with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“We continue to work closely with the Department of Justice. In
the coming weeks and months, we will develop and implement additional
policy and processing instructions. We appreciate the public’s
patience as we work through the legal issues to ensure that our
policy is legally sound and clear.”
“I encourage individuals who believe they may be eligible for
Social Security benefits to apply now, to protect against the loss of
any potential benefits. We will process claims as soon as additional
instructions become finalized.”
Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC), the nation's largest LGBT advocate, responded in a statement
given to BuzzFeed.
“It is encouraging that Social Security is taking steps to
afford benefits to married couples that should be treated like anyone
else,” he said. “We look forward to hearing further details from
the administration on how they plan to make the greatest number of
benefits available to the greatest number of people.”