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

Unfortunately, it is inevitable that many spouses will find themselves widowed during 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 income earned by the spouse that has passed away.

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

There are some rules 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, unless his death was a result of an accident. Also, divorced spouses may qualify for widow's benefits as long as they were married for minimum 10 years.

Widows can apply for survivor benefits starting at age 60, or age 50 if they are disabled. Just like 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 expect to receive anywhere from 71.5% to 100% of her deceased spouse's benefit based on how old she is when she starts collecting the survivor benefit.

It's important to note that as a widow you will receive 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 lose one benefit, so your total income from Social Security could be 1/3 to 1/2 lower than it was before your spouse died.

One strategy to help maximize your total benefits assuming your spouse passes before you attain full retirement age is to start collecting widow's benefits when your spouse passes (assuming you are at least age 60 or your are age 50 and disabled), then switch to your own benefit once you attain your full retirement age. This will allow your own retirement benefits to continue earning credits and therefore will increase 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 reach full retirement age.

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

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