When Social Security was initially developed, it only paid retirement income to workers who qualified. It was later revised to include benefits for spouses and survivors, which made it more of a family or insurance plan, rather then just a retirement plan.

Unfortunately, it is inevitable that many husbands and wives will find themselves widowed during their retirement. This is not only a huge loss emotionally, but can be a huge loss financially as well, particularly since the survivor will lose the income earned by the spouse that has passed away.

The Social Security survivor benefit was designed to ensure that the surviving spouse wouldn't lose all of their income when the first spouse passes. Actually, the survivor income is 100% of the spouse's benefit before he or she passed. Assuming that both spouses are already receiving Social Security, if the spouse with the greater amount of Social Security passes away first, the spouse with the lower payment will get a rise in her income. However if the spouse with the lower benefit passes first, the surviving spouse's benefit will not modify.

There are some guidelines in order to qualify for Social Security death benefits: The couple must have been married for more than 9 months before the spouse's death, unless his death was a result of an accident. Also, divorced spouses may qualify for widow's income as long as they were married for at least 10 years.

Widows can apply for survivor benefits beginning 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 touching full retirement age. A widow can expect to receive anywhere from 71.5% to 100% of her departed spouse's benefit depending on how old she is when she starts collecting the survivor benefit.

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

One strategy to help optimize your total benefits assuming your spouse passes before you reach full retirement age is to start collecting widow's benefits as soon as your spouse passes (assuming you are at least age 60 or your are age 50 and disabled), then move to your own benefit once you reach your full retirement age. This will allow your own retirement benefits to keep on earning credits and therefore will increase your retirement benefit. Or, if the survivor benefit is significantly higher than your own benefit, you could apply for your own benefit early, then move to the survivor benefit when you reach full retirement age.

You should apply for Social Security widow benefits right away after a relative has passed. To do so, you can call the Social Security Administration or visit the office nearest to you. It's important to know how Social Security survivor benefits work so you can maximize your retirement income, especially after the loss of a loved one.

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