When Social Security was first created, it only paid retirement money 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, rather then only a retirement plan.

Sadly, it is inevitable that many spouses will find themselves widowed around their retirement. This is not only a substantial 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 developed to ensure that the surviving spouse wouldn't lose all of their earnings when the first spouse dies. Basically, the survivor income is 100% of the spouse's income before he or she passed. Supposing 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 a rise in her income. However if the spouse with the lower payment passes first, the surviving spouse's income will not alter.

There are some policies in order to be eligible for Social Security death benefits: The couple must have been married for at least 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 income as long as they were married for minimum 10 years.

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

It's essential to note that as a widow you will get the survivor benefit or your own income, 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 less than it was before your spouse died.

A technique to help maximize your total benefits considering your spouse passes before you attain 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 move to your own benefit once you attain 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 substantially 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 relative has passed. To do so, you can contact 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, particularly after the loss of a loved one.

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