When most people think of Social Security, they think of the retirement benefits that seniors receive after putting in a few decades in the workforce. But the program also provides checks to other groups, including those who are disabled and family members of deceased workers.

The latter is known as survivors benefits or widows benefits. While any amount is better than nothing, it's only natural to want the largest checks possible. But you might wind up with less than expected if your spouse claimed Social Security early. Below, we'll take a look at why and what you can do about it.

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Source Fool.com