How You Can Grow Your Social Security Benefits Beyond Retirement Age
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 3, 2023
For more and more Americans, reaching retirement age no longer means the end of an active working life. Many people are choosing to work past the age of 65, according to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If you’re willing and able, maintaining gainful employment later in life could go a long way toward ensuring a secure future for you and your family. Besides providing you with additional income to pay your bills, extending your employment or working for yourself could boost your lifetime Social Security benefits.
Here’s how:
Whether you’re still working or not, waiting to claim your Social Security retirement benefits could grow them significantly. Through delayed retirement credits, your monthly benefit amount increases for each year you wait between your full retirement age and 70. Full retirement age is between 65 and 67, depending on when you were born. To learn more about delayed retirement credits, please visit our Retirement Benefits page.
You get credits on your earnings record for each year of additional work income. Once you start receiving retirement benefits, we’ll automatically review your earnings record each year to determine if you’re entitled to an adjustment. When we calculate your retirement benefit amount, we use your best 35 years of earnings. We’ll increase your benefit amount if your new year of earnings is higher than one of the years we used to calculate your initial benefit amount. To see how we calculate your benefits, see our publication, Your Retirement Benefit: How It’s Figured.
An increased benefit amount for yourself could mean more support for your family, too, through Social Security spousal benefits, child benefits, and survivor benefits.
We also encourage you to set up your own online my Social Security account so you can verify your lifetime earnings record, check the status of an application for benefits, and manage them after you’re receiving them. You can create your personal my Social Security account today.
Social Security is committed to helping you prepare for a secure today and tomorrow for you, your family, and future family. You can access all of our retirement resources on our Retirement Benefits page.
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Tags: my Social Security, my Social Security account, retirement, retirement benefits, Social Security benefits, SSA, survivors benefits
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Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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verlie r.
hello! i am receiving social security i am 78 years old started s.s. in 2003 worked 9 more years can i get a incease in my s.s
Ray F.
Each year, we review the records for all working Social Security recipients to see if additional earnings may increase monthly benefits. If your earnings for the prior year are higher than any of the years that were used to compute your retirement benefit, we will recalculate your benefit amount. If an increase is due, a new monthly benefit amount is established on your record automatically. See “Getting Benefits While Working” for more information. Thanks!
Judith n.
I am currently receiving survivor social security from my deceased husband. How do I find out if my work record now would be more as I am 70.
Ray F.
Hello Judith. We have a variety of calculators to help you plan for the future. Which calculator you choose depends on what you want to do. Also, we suggest that you create a my Social Security account. With your personal my Social Security account, you can verify your earnings, get your Social Security Statement, and much more. Happy planning!
Judith n.
I need to have taxes withdrawn from my social security check. How do I do this?
Ray F.
Benefits Planner: Withholding Income Tax From Your Social Security Benefits.
George L.
Is there a Silver Sneakers benefit through Social Security?
Ray F.
Information can be provided by Medicare.gov.
Robert L.
I am 72 years old and have worked the past 4 years part-time. Why do I have to pay into Social Security and Medicare when I receive no increased benefit? About 8% of my pay last year went into them.
Bob Leininger
Ray F.
Hello Robert. Under current law, everyone working in covered employment or self-employment regardless of age or eligibility for benefits must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. For further income tax questions, you will need to contact the IRS. Their toll-free number is 1-800-829-1040. Thanks!
Permelia A.
According to the social security website, my full retirement age is 66. I still work and benefits are deducted. Why can I not receive full benefits? Why are funds taken from my paycheck with held because I started receiving SS @62? A fire destroyed my business and I was left with no income.
Please help me understand how the government makes decisions about income deducted from my paycheck for my retirement , and decides how much and when I will receive I???????????
Martha S.
I divorced my husband of 36 years when I turned 60. I remarried when I was 70. If my former spouse dies before me, will I qualify for all of his social security benefit?
Ray F.
See section: Surviving Divorced Spouse of our Benefits Planner: Survivors, for this information.
Richard L.
If I work part time after I retire and collect my ss benefit will my benefit increase the following year slightly.
Ray F.
Thank you for your question, Richard. Each year, we review the records for all working Social Security recipients to see if additional earnings could their monthly benefits.
Generally, if you continue to work while receiving retirement benefits, your monthly benefit amount could increase. If your earnings for the prior year are higher than any of the years that was used to compute your retirement benefit, we will recalculate your benefit amount. If an increase is due, a new monthly benefit amount is established on your record automatically.
william y.
question- I am 65 years and 3 months old. my wife is 59 years and 9 months old. I have made much more money over the years than my wife. I am thinking that when my wife turns 62, she files and I will then file on her account and take the 50% or about $5500 a year until I turn 70 when I will then file on my account and take the max which would be around $41000 a year. since she files at age 62, does she then lose out on getting 50% of my social security when I file at age 70?
Amy L.
I am 70 and started collecting my SS benefit this year. I am still working part time and SS is taken from my paycheck. Will my SS benefits increase as a result of what is being taken out of each paycheck ?
Ray F.
Great question, Amy! Current law requires that everyone working in covered employment or self-employment regardless of age or eligibility for benefits must pay Social Security taxes. Generally, if you continue to work while receiving retirement benefits, your monthly benefit amount could increase. keep in mind that for retirement benefits, we use the individual’s highest 35 years of earnings to compute their monthly benefit amount. If your earnings for the prior year are higher than any of the years that were used to compute your retirement benefit, we will recalculate your benefit amount. If an increase is due, a new monthly benefit amount is established on your record automatically. We hope this information helps!