When Social Security was first developed, it only paid retirement income to workers who qualified. It was later amended to include benefits for spouses and survivors, that made it more of a family or insurance program, instead of just a retirement plan.

Sadly, it is inevitable that many spouses will find themselves widowed around their retirement. This is not only a huge loss emotionally, but can be a huge loss financially as well, especially since the survivor will lose the money earned by the spouse that has died.

The Social Security survivor benefit was created to ensure that the surviving spouse wouldn't lose all of their income when the first spouse dies. Basically, the survivor income is 100% of the spouse's income before he or she passed. Assuming that both spouses are already receiving Social Security, if the spouse with the higher amount of Social Security dies first, the spouse with the lower income will get an increase in her income. However if the spouse with the lower benefit passes first, the surviving spouse's income will not change.

There are some guidelines in order to qualify for Social Security death benefits: The couple must have been married for no less than 9 months before the spouse's death, except if his death was a result of an accident. Also, separated spouses may qualify for widow's benefits as long as they were married for at least 10 years.

Widows can request for survivor benefits starting at age 60, or age 50 if they are disabled. Just as with retirement and spousal benefits, the widow may not want to start collecting at age 60 because the benefit will be reduced for every month received before attaining full retirement age. A widow can hope to get anywhere from 71.5% to 100% of her deceased spouse's benefit depending on how old she is when she starts receiving the survivor benefit.

It's important to note that as a widow you will get the survivor benefit or your own benefit, whichever is higher. So your benefit will go up if your spouse's benefit was higher than your own, however you will still miss one benefit, so your total benefit from Social Security could be 1/3 to 1/2 lower than it was before your spouse passed.

A technique to help maximize your total benefits considering your spouse passes before you reach full retirement age is to start collecting widow's benefits when your spouse passes (assuming you are more than age 60 or your are age 50 and crippled), then switch to your own benefit once you reach your full retirement age. This will permit your own retirement benefits to continue earning credits and therefore will raise your retirement benefit. Or, if the survivor benefit is significantly higher than your own benefit, you could apply for your own benefit early, then switch to the survivor benefit when you are at full retirement age.

You may apply for Social Security widow benefits right away after a family member has passed. To do so, you can call the Social Security Administration or visit the office closest to you. It's important to understand how Social Security survivor benefits operate so you can maximize your retirement income, especially after the loss of a loved one.

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