WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration has begun taking claims from married same-sex couples who believe they are eligible for benefits, although the administration will not process them until the instructions for handling such claims are finalized.
The change, announced by Social Security spokesman Mark Hinkle on Friday, comes about in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on June 26 that the Defense of Marriage Act's ban on same-sex couples' marriages being recognized by the federal government is unconstitutional.
"We are taking claims now from individuals who believe they may be eligible for Social Security benefits. We will process these claims as soon as we have finalized our instructions," Hinkle said in a statement.
He went on to note, "We are working with the Department of Justice to determine how the decision affects our programs and to develop appropriate instructions for our personnel."
