Total monthly benefit payment as recorded in the Payment History Update System, the administrative database maintained by SSA to track actual payments made to beneficiaries. This benefit amount can differ from the MBR total benefit which records only eligiblity and not actual payments. This benefit amount is the total amount paid in the first month of widowed spouse benefits receipt. If the respondent was dually entitled in this month, this benefit amount reflects the total payment made (i.e. the sum of the amounts due to each type of benefit). For example if a person received own and widowed spouse retirement benefits, this benefit amount would be the sum of those two benefits.