Social Security Strategies: 10 Tips To Increase Your Monthly Payments (Don’t Miss Out!)
Worried your Social Security checks won’t be enough? Many retirees struggle to make ends meet on benefits that could have been much larger.
The system rewards those who understand its rules, while everyone else leaves money on the table. But here’s the good news: you can boost your payments with a few smart moves.
From timing your application to maximizing work credits, these 10 strategies can add hundreds of dollars to your monthly checks.
The difference between claiming wisely and claiming blindly could mean thousands more during your retirement years. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.
1. Work Until Full Retirement Age
Starting Social Security before your full retirement age permanently reduces your benefits. For people born between 1943 and 1954, full retirement age is 66.
The age increases gradually for those born later, reaching 67 for anyone born in 1960 or after. If you begin collecting at age 62, your monthly checks will be significantly smaller than if you wait.
The reduction can be as much as 30% less than what you’d receive at full retirement age. This smaller amount continues for your entire life, not just until you reach full retirement age.
Many people find that working a few extra years not only increases their Social Security payments but also allows them to add to their retirement savings.
Your earnings during these final working years often replace lower-earning years in your benefit calculation, further boosting your monthly payment. The financial advantage of waiting can be substantial over a long retirement.
2. Include Family Members in Your Benefits
Social Security isn’t just for retirees—your family members may qualify for additional benefits based on your work record.
Children under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school) can receive payments worth up to half of their full retirement benefit.
This benefit extends to biological children, stepchildren, and adopted children. For parents with younger children, this can provide significant additional income.
A spouse caring for your dependent child under age 16 may also qualify for payments, creating a meaningful financial support system for your family.
Family benefits do have limits. The total amount family members can receive generally ranges from 150% to 180% of your full benefit amount. Still, these additional payments can substantially help families, especially those with disabled children.
Children with severe disabilities that began before age 22 may qualify for lifetime benefits, providing crucial long-term support for vulnerable family members.
3. Maximize Survivor’s Benefits
Survivor benefits provide crucial financial protection for widows and widowers. When one spouse dies, the survivor can receive the deceased spouse’s full benefit amount if it exceeds their own.
This rule creates an opportunity for strategic planning. For example, if a husband receives $2,000 monthly from Social Security while his wife gets $1,500, she would receive his higher $2,000 payment after his death.
This higher amount continues for her lifetime. Couples can plan accordingly, with the higher-earning spouse sometimes delaying benefits to maximize the eventual survivor benefit.
Widowed individuals have additional options. You might claim your deceased spouse’s survivor benefits while letting your benefit grow, then switch to your benefit later.
This approach works especially well if the surviving spouse has a strong earnings history but is younger than full retirement age. The flexibility to choose between benefits at different times can significantly increase lifetime payments and provide greater financial security.
4. Delay Claiming Until Age 70
Patience pays when it comes to Social Security. For each year you wait beyond your full retirement age, your benefit grows by about 8% until age 70. This increase is guaranteed and lasts your entire life.
Someone eligible for $1,000 monthly at age 67 could boost their payment to $1,240 by waiting until 70. Over a 20-year retirement, this difference adds up to more than $57,000 in additional benefits.
Plus, these higher payments receive the same annual cost-of-living adjustments as other Social Security benefits, helping maintain your purchasing power as prices rise.
This strategy works best for people who can afford to wait and expect to live longer than average. Those with health concerns or who need immediate income might choose to claim earlier.
But for those who can delay, the financial reward is substantial. The guaranteed 8% annual increase often exceeds what you might earn through other investments, making delayed claiming an attractive option for maximizing retirement income.
5. Minimize Social Security Taxes
Many retirees are surprised to learn their Social Security benefits might be taxable. How much depends on your “combined income”—your adjusted gross income, plus nontaxable interest, plus half of your Social Security benefit.
For individuals with combined income between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50% of benefits may be taxable. Above $34,000, up to 85% becomes taxable.
These thresholds are $32,000 and $44,000 for married couples filing jointly. Unfortunately, these amounts haven’t been adjusted for inflation since 1984, pushing more retirees into taxable status each year.
Smart planning can reduce this tax burden. Consider withdrawing from Roth accounts, which don’t count toward combined income.
Managing when you take IRA distributions or sell investments can help keep your income below key thresholds.
Some retirees benefit from spreading large withdrawals across multiple tax years. Working with a financial advisor to create a withdrawal strategy can potentially save thousands in taxes over your retirement years.
6. Work at Least 35 Years
Social Security calculates your benefits based on your top 35 earning years. Any years without income create zeros in this calculation, which lowers your final benefit amount.
Working full-time for at least 35 years ensures you don’t have any zeros bringing down your average.
Many people switch careers or take time off for family reasons, creating gaps in their work history. Each additional year you work beyond 35 years can replace a lower-earning year in your calculation.
This happens automatically—the Social Security Administration counts your highest-earning years, not just your most recent ones. The impact can be substantial, especially if you’re earning more now than early in your career.
Your Social Security statement shows your earnings history and estimates how much you’ll receive in retirement. Leah Woodly, associate financial advisor at Dorval & Chorne Financial Advisors, points out that “replacing zero-income years or low-income years on your earnings history can give your Social Security retirement benefit a boost.”
Even part-time work in retirement can sometimes increase your future benefits if those earnings replace lower-earning years in your record.
7. Earn More if Possible
Your Social Security benefits directly reflect your lifetime earnings. Boosting your income through raises, promotions, or side jobs will increase your future payments.
This connection between earnings and benefits makes Social Security a valuable tool for retirement planning.
For 2025, earnings up to $176,100 count toward your Social Security calculation. Income above this amount isn’t subject to Social Security tax and won’t affect your benefits.
Most workers earn below this cap, so nearly all their income contributes to their future benefits. Mario Ruiz, a retirement income specialist and wealth manager, notes that “having retirement income more heavily weighted in Social Security can effectively help insure against risks such as longevity, market volatility, inflation and taxes.”
Ask for that raise, take on extra responsibilities, or start a side business—these efforts can pay off twice: once in your current paycheck and again in retirement through higher Social Security benefits.
The income from a part-time job or consulting work can also help boost your benefits. The Social Security system rewards higher earners with larger benefits, making career advancement valuable for your long-term financial security.
8. Claim Spousal Payments
Married couples have options to maximize their Social Security benefits. If you’ve earned significantly less than your spouse or didn’t work outside the home, you may receive more through spousal benefits than on your record.
This benefit can be up to 50% of your spouse’s full retirement amount. To get the full 50% spousal benefit, you must wait until your full retirement age to claim it.
Starting earlier reduces the percentage. The higher-earning spouse needs to file for their benefits before you can claim spousal benefits.
For couples with large earnings differences, this coordination can significantly increase household income. Ex-spouses aren’t left out either—if your marriage lasted at least 10 years, you might qualify for benefits based on your former spouse’s record.
Strategic claiming can maximize your combined benefits. Sometimes it makes sense for the lower earner to claim early while the higher earner delays.
Other times, both should wait. The best approach depends on your specific circumstances, including age difference, health status, and financial needs. The extra income from well-planned spousal benefits can make a substantial difference in your retirement lifestyle.
9. Know Retirement Earning Limits
Social Security sets limits on how much you can earn while collecting benefits before full retirement age.
In 2025, if you’re under full retirement age and earn more than $23,400, Social Security will withhold $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. This rule often surprises people who plan to work part-time while collecting early benefits.
The year you reach full retirement age, the rules become more generous. The earnings limit jumps to $62,160, and the penalty decreases to $1 withheld for every $3 earned above the limit. These restrictions only apply until the month you reach full retirement age.
After that, you can earn any amount without affecting your benefits. Social Security will recalculate your benefit to credit you for months when payments were withheld.
Planning your work schedule around these limits can help you avoid surprises. Some people find it best to either delay claiming until they’ve stopped working or to keep their earnings below the limits.
Others prefer to claim anyway, knowing that withheld benefits aren’t lost forever—they’ll be returned through higher monthly payments later. Understanding these rules helps you make the choice that fits your situation.
10. Check Your Records
Your Social Security benefits depend on your earnings record being accurate. Small errors can cost thousands of dollars over your retirement. The Social Security Administration tracks your earnings through tax records, but mistakes happen.
Employers might report incorrect information, or earnings might be recorded under the wrong Social Security number.
Creating a My Social Security account at ssa.gov lets you review your earnings history anytime. Compare this record with your W-2 forms, tax returns, and pay stubs. Look for missing years or amounts that seem too low.
Mario Ruiz points out that “a full-time worker may work 80,000 hours over their life paying into Social Security,” making accuracy crucial. If you find errors, gather documentation like W-2 forms or pay stubs and contact Social Security promptly to have them corrected.
Regular checks are important because there’s a time limit for corrections. The Social Security Administration generally can correct earnings records up to three years, three months, and 15 days after the year in which the wages were paid. Some exceptions exist for obvious errors.
Taking a few minutes each year to verify your record can protect your future benefits and give you an updated estimate of what you’ll receive in retirement.
