Social Security for a Widow

A former colleague of mine, age 73, receives a federal pension. She was married 26 years. She did not accrue enough Social Security (SS) credits working other jobs to receive SS on her own. However, her deceased husband did accrue enough SS during his career as a carpenter. He was in private business, not a public employee. After he passed, she applied for SS and was told she was not eligible based upon HER work history. That doesn’t sound right. Is she eligible for SS based upon her deceased husband’s eligibility for SS benefits?
Also, and this is sad, she has been battling cancer for several years. Are there any provisions in SS Regulations that provide benefits for “hardship” cases? Thank you so much.