Social Security’s Best-Kept Secret: How to Boost Your Payments by $500/Month (Do This Before Next Year)
Most Americans leave money on the table when they claim Social Security—big money.
We’re talking about $500 or more every single month. That’s $6,000 a year. Over 20 years of retirement, that’s $120,000.
Here’s what nobody tells you: Social Security has built-in ways to boost your payments. But you have to know about them. And you have to act before it’s too late.
If you’re 55 or older and haven’t claimed Social Security yet, this guide will show you exactly how to get more money. These aren’t tricks or loopholes. They’re official rules that most people never learn about.
You’ll discover five proven ways to increase your Social Security payments. Some work better for certain people. Others you can combine for even bigger results.
Let’s start with why Social Security keeps these boost methods so quiet.
Why Social Security Doesn’t Advertise These Boost Methods
Social Security faces a funding problem. The trust fund is projected to run low by 2034. So why would they tell everyone how to get bigger payments?
They don’t hide these methods on purpose. But they don’t promote them either.
The Social Security Administration sends you statements. They show your estimated benefits. But they don’t explain how to maximize them. That’s your job to figure out.
Most people claim Social Security as soon as they can. That’s at age 62. But claiming early means smaller payments forever. The government saves money when you do this.
Here’s what happens when you claim at different ages:
- At 62, you get 75% of your full benefit
- At your full retirement age (66-67): You get 100% of your benefit
- At 70, you get 132% of your benefit
The difference between claiming at 62 versus 70? It can be $500, $800, or even $1,200 more per month. For life.
But there are other ways to boost your payments, too. Let’s look at all five methods.
How to Boost Social Security Payments by $500/Month
These five strategies can add serious money to your Social Security check. The exact amount depends on your work history and current age. But for many people, these methods can add $500 or more every month.
1. Use Delayed Retirement Credits to Your Advantage
This is the biggest money-maker for most people.
Every month you delay claiming Social Security past your full retirement age, your benefit grows. The government calls these “delayed retirement credits.” They’re worth 8% per year until you turn 70.
Let’s say your full retirement age is 67. Your estimated benefit at 67 is $2,000 per month. Here’s what happens if you wait:
- Claim at 67: $2,000/month
- Claim at 68: $2,160/month (+$160)
- Claim at 69: $2,320/month (+$320)
- Claim at 70: $2,480/month (+$480)
That’s nearly $500 more per month just for waiting three years.
The math gets even better for higher earners. If your full retirement age benefit would be $3,000, waiting until 70 gets you $3,720. That’s $720 more every month.
The catch: You have to be able to live without Social Security income during the delay. This works best if you have other retirement savings or can keep working part-time.
The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College studied this strategy. They found that delaying benefits from full retirement age to 70 increases lifetime benefits by 24-32% for most workers. For someone with a $2,500 full retirement benefit, delaying to 70 could mean monthly payments of $3,100-$3,200.
2. Fix Your Earnings Record Before It’s Too Late
Social Security calculates your benefit using your highest 35 years of earnings. But their records aren’t always right.
Missing earnings. Wrong amounts. Years that should count but don’t. These mistakes can cost you hundreds of dollars per month.
The Social Security Administration processes billions of wage reports every year. Mistakes happen. A lot.
Here’s how to check and fix your record:
Step 1: Create an account at ssa.gov.
Step 2: Download your Social Security Statement.
Step 3: Compare it to your tax returns and W-2 forms.
Step 4: Look for these common errors:
- Missing years of earnings
- Wrong dollar amounts
- Self-employment income was not reported correctly
- Military service is not credited
Step 5: File Form SSA-7008 to request corrections
You need proof for any corrections. Keep your tax returns, W-2s, and pay stubs. The older the mistake, the harder it is to fix.
Real example: John discovered that three years of self-employment income from the 1990s never got credited to his record. Those were high-earning years. After correcting the mistake, his monthly benefit increased by $340.
Time limit warning: You have up to three years, three months, and 15 days after the year the wages were earned to make corrections. Some exceptions exist, but don’t count on them.
3. Plan Your Claiming Strategy as a Married Couple
Married couples have more options than single people. You can coordinate your claiming to maximize your household’s total benefits.
Here are three strategies that can add $500 or more to your monthly household income:
Strategy A: One Spouse Delays, One Claims Early: If one spouse earned significantly more than the other, the higher earner should usually delay benefits until 70. The lower earner can claim earlier if needed for household income.
Strategy B: Maximize Survivor Benefits: When one spouse dies, the survivor gets the higher of the two Social Security benefits. This makes it extra important for the higher earner to maximize their benefit by delaying.
Strategy C: Use Spousal Benefits Strategically: A spouse can claim up to 50% of their partner’s benefit. Sometimes this is more than their own benefit. You can claim spousal benefits even if your spouse hasn’t claimed yet, but both of you must be at least full retirement age.
Real scenario: Sarah earned $40,000 for most of her career. Her husband Mike earned $80,000. Sarah’s benefit at full retirement age would be $1,200. Mike’s would be $2,400.
If Mike delays until 70, his benefit becomes $3,168. When Mike dies, Sarah will get his full benefit instead of her smaller one. By delaying, Sarah gets an extra $768 per month for the rest of her life after he’s gone.
4. Keep Working to Replace Low-Earning Years
Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your benefit. If you worked more than 35 years, only the highest-paying years count.
This creates an opportunity. If you’re still working and earning good money, each additional year can replace a lower-earning year from your past.
How it works: Social Security recalculates your benefit every year you have earnings. If your current earnings are higher than one of your previous 35 years, your benefit goes up.
Example: Maria has worked for 38 years. Her lowest-earning year in her top 35 was 1987, when she made $12,000. She’s still working and now earns $55,000 per year.
Each year, Maria continues working at $55,000, replacing that $12,000 year in her calculation. This can increase her monthly benefit by $50-100 or more.
Best candidates for this strategy:
- People who had some very low-earning years early in their careers
- Those who took time off work for family reasons
- Workers who had periods of unemployment
- People who worked part-time for several years
Important note: You can keep working even after you claim Social Security. If you’re under full retirement age, there are earnings limits. But once you reach full retirement age, you can earn as much as you want without penalty.
A Social Security Administration study found that workers who continue employment past full retirement age and delay claiming see an average benefit increase of 8-12% beyond delayed retirement credits alone. This happens because they replace earlier, lower-earning years in their calculation.
5. Manage Your Taxes to Keep More of Your Social Security
Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can be taxable. This depends on your total income. But you can plan around this to keep more money in your pocket.
The government uses something called “provisional income” to decide how much of your Social Security gets taxed. This includes:
- Your adjusted gross income
- Tax-free interest (like from municipal bonds)
- Half of your Social Security benefits
Tax brackets for Social Security:
- Provisional income under $25,000 (single) or $32,000 (married): No tax on Social Security
- Between those amounts and $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (married): Up to 50% of Social Security is taxable
- Above $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (married): Up to 85% of Social Security is taxable
Ways to reduce your provisional income:
- Do Roth IRA conversions before claiming Social Security
- Time your retirement account withdrawals carefully
- Use tax-loss harvesting to offset gains
- Consider moving to a state with no tax on Social Security
Scenario example: Tom and Linda have $60,000 in provisional income. They pay taxes on 85% of their Social Security benefits. By doing some advance tax planning, they reduced their provisional income to $43,000. Now they only pay taxes on 50% of their benefits. This saves them about $2,000 per year in taxes.
State taxes matter too: Thirteen states tax Social Security benefits. The other 37 states don’t. If you’re planning to move in retirement anyway, choosing a Social Security-friendly state can save you money.
2025 Deadlines You Can’t Miss
Some of these strategies have deadlines. Miss them, and you lose the opportunity forever.
Before December 31, 2025:
- Review your Social Security Statement for errors
- File any corrections to your earnings record for 2022 wages (remember the 3-year rule)
- Plan your Roth conversion strategy if you’re delaying Social Security
- Coordinate claiming strategies with your spouse
Before your 70th birthday:
- You must start claiming Social Security by the month after you turn 70
- Delayed retirement credits stop growing at 70
- There’s no benefit to waiting past 70
Before you claim Social Security:
- Double-check your earnings record one final time
- Calculate the break-even point for delaying benefits
- Consider your health and life expectancy honestly
- Plan for Medicare enrollment (this doesn’t depend on Social Security claiming)
If you’re married:
- Discuss claiming strategies with your spouse
- Consider both of your health situations
- Plan for the surviving spouse’s needs
- Calculate different scenarios to see what works best
Get professional help if:
- Your situation is complex (divorce, government pension, etc.)
- You’re not sure about the best claiming strategy
- You need help with the tax planning aspects
- You want someone to run the numbers for your specific situation
Your Next Steps
Getting an extra $500 per month from Social Security isn’t automatic. You have to take action.
Start with these three steps:
Step 1: Log into ssa.gov and review your Social Security Statement. Look for missing or incorrect earnings. This takes 15 minutes and could be worth thousands.
Step 2: Calculate your break-even point for delaying benefits. If you’re healthy and can afford to wait, delaying usually pays off big time.
Step 3: If you’re married, sit down with your spouse and plan your claiming strategy together. The decisions you make affect both of your financial futures.
Don’t wait until you’re ready to retire to think about this. The best Social Security strategies require planning.
Remember: These aren’t get-rich-quick schemes. They’re official government programs designed to help you get the benefits you’ve earned. But you have to know about them to use them.
The Social Security Administration won’t call you up and tell you about these strategies. It’s up to you to learn them and put them to work.
That extra $500 per month adds up to $120,000 over 20 years of retirement. For most people, that’s worth a little planning and patience.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. Social Security rules can be complex and change over time. Consider consulting with a qualified financial advisor or Social Security expert for personalized advice about your specific situation.
