Califano v. Goldfarb
United States Supreme Court
430 U.S. 199 (1977)
After his wife, a lifelong wage-earning secretary who paid Social Security taxes throughout her career, died, Goldfarb (plaintiff) was denied widower's survivor benefits because he could not show he received at least half his support from her — a dependency requirement not imposed on widows seeking benefits based on a deceased husband's earnings. The district court found the provision unconstitutional gender discrimination, and Califano (defendant), the administering federal official, appealed.
Whether a Social Security provision that requires only widowers, and not widows, to prove dependency on the deceased spouse before receiving survivor benefits violates the equal protection component of the Due Process Clause.