Gay and lesbian spouses in the United States can claim social security survivor’s benefits even if they were married for less than nine months, a federal court has ruled, overturning a requirement that left some widows and widowers homeless. The U.S. District Court for Arizona said that it was unconstitutional for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to deny benefits to LGBT+ spouses wed for less than nine months as same-sex unions were illegal in some U.S. states until 2015. “The fight for nationwide marriage equality was hard-fought, but the fight for true equality under the law continues,” openly gay Democratic congressman Sean Maloney told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in emailed comments. “This victory reaffirms that the protections offered with marriage apply to all couples – no matter who they are or who they love.”