LGBT baby boomers face tough retirement hurdles

In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, Arnim Kiwi poses in his apartment in New York. Kiwi has been struggling to keep this rent-stabilized apartment ever since his partner died last year and he can't afford to move. He's now living on half the income the couple once had, as his partner died before they were able to get legally married. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, Arnim Kiwi poses in his apartment in New York. Kiwi has been struggling to keep this rent-stabilized apartment ever since his partner died last year and he can't afford to move. He's now living on half the income the couple once had, as his partner died before they were able to get legally married. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

By Associated Press December 1, 2014 5 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – For Kathy Murphy, the difference between being gay or straight is $583 a month.

Retirement should have been a “slam dunk,” the 62-year-old Texas widow says. She saved, bought a house with her spouse and has a pension through her employer.

But Murphy’s retirement has not been as secure as it should have been. She is missing out on thousands of dollars a year in Social Security benefits simply because she was married to a woman, not a man.

Murphy fell into a loophole in Social Security that denies survivor benefits to same-sex couples depending on what state they live in. Had Murphy and her wife, Sara Barker, lived next door in New Mexico, a state that recognizes same-sex marriage, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

“I never thought I would live to see same-sex marriage, but the government still minimizes my marriage and my relationship of 32 years,” Murphy says.