Before the establishment of survivors» benefits, needy widowed mothers with children had to rely on state -
run Mother's
Pension programs.56 These programs scrutinized beneficiaries closely and were often administered to deny aid to women of color or women with objectionable morals or lifestyles.57 In contrast to discretionary (and often discriminatory) mother's
pensions, survivors» benefits uniformly extended
coverage to widows of insured workers who were caring for a child under the age of 18.58 There was no requirement of economic need.