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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Barbara A.
Very interesting BUT
HOW DO YOU INCREASE YOUR BENEFITS IF YOU ARE ALREADY RETIRED, CANNOT WORK DUE TO PHYSICAL ISSUES, BUT REALLY DESPERATELY NEED MORE INCOME?
Maria B.
Is it true a wife can claim SS from an ex spouse if they were married 10 yrs?
If yes, must ex husband be notified and approve of receiving this SS?
What happens to back years of unclaimed SS for the wife?
Anything else you can share with me??
We were married 18 yrs
Linda M.
How can I increase my SS benefits?
R.F.
Hello Linda. Each year, we review the records for all working Social Security recipients to see if additional earnings may increase their monthly benefits.
When you apply for retirement benefits, we base your benefit payment on your highest 35 years of earnings and your age when you start receiving benefits.
If your earnings for the prior year are higher than one of the years we 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!
linda r.
I took early retirement but my spouse divorced me and I was forced to go back to work. Am I eligible to get an increase on my ssi? I currently receive $645 per month I have worked part time for 5 yrs. I had no idea there is a possibility i could get more to live on. Is it possible?
R.F.
The Supplemental Security Income or SSI program, requires that we consider some of your income and resources to be available to you. We also take into consideration your living arrangements. These factors may affect your monthly SSI benefits.
Generally, if you continue to work while receiving retirement benefits, your monthly benefit amount could increase. Each year, we review the records for all working Social Security recipients to see if additional earnings may increase monthly benefits. Thanks!
Frederick R.
There were a number of years that I did not pay into Social Security because I owned a business. I took a proprietors draw. I am now receiving Social Security and then working at a job making between seven and $10,000 per year there were a number of years that I did not pay into Social Security because I owned a business. I took a proprietor straw. I am now receiving Social Security and I’m working at a job making between $7000 and $10,000 per year. Will my Social Security check increase for every year I continued to work and Pay into Social Security.
carole b.
when will I know my part b plan will start. I send the application in the mail and waiting for response on my part b plan. I don’t want to miss out on the enrollment for my medigap.
V.V.
Hi Carole: For your security, we do not have access to your information in this venue. We encourage you to work with your local Social Security office. If you are unable to connect with your local office, you may call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available to help you Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Carole M.
I have a widow’s benefit from my husband, however, it occurs to me that my benefits from my record look that I would receive more if my husband’s were not factored in. I have received the statement that “when “we” add the amounts of the two benefits together, the total amount does not change”. Therefore, it appears it would be more beneficial for me to only take my benefits and not have the widow benefit where my husbands benefits are factored in. Is this true?
V.V.
Hi Carole, thank you for your question. If you are eligible for retirement benefits (but haven’t yet applied for them), you may have an option of switching to your retirement benefit at a later date (if it’s higher than your widow’s benefit). See our Survivors Planner: If You Are The Survivor for more information.
To see if you qualify for a higher benefit than what you are currently receiving, call our toll free telephone number at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and ask a representative to assist you.
wendy
if you are still working and have not taken benefits just turned age 70 is there a change or something you need to know or act on regarding benefits in any way, especially if you plan to continue working to age 75.
V.V.
Wendy, thank you for your question. You earn delayed retirement credits automatically when you delay getting your benefit up to age 70. The benefit increase no longer applies when you reach age 70, even if you continue to delay taking benefits.
Also, keep in mind that if you work and are full retirement age or older, the amount you make at work will not affect your Social Security benefits, no matter how much you earn.
To help you plan, you can use our online calculators. Also, you can create a my Social Security account to verify your earnings, and get a copy of your Social Security Statement.
Our system is set up to take applications four months in advance, and when you’re ready, you can apply for your benefits online. If you need further assistance call our toll free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask to speak with one of our representatives, who are available Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Richard C.
When are we going to get another raise and increase. The one you gave us in 2018 just covered the cost of increase in Medicare payments, and left us with a $2.00 increase in our checks. Its ok for the Government and Military to get a raise but when it come to SS, its the welfare check. They need to eliminate COLA, it doesn’t serve the retirement people. Why dont you try to live on SS with all of the rent increases and gasoline increases each year.
R.F.
Hello Richard. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019.
The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to Social Security beneficiaries in January 2019. Increased payments to SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2018.
Information about Medicare changes for 2019, when announced, will be available at http://www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries receiving Medicare, Social Security will not be able to compute their new benefit amount until after the Medicare premium amounts for 2019 are announced. Thanks!
Lawrence A.
I didn’t know HIV could b used 2 increase my benefits per month because that’s considered a disability. How can I receive those benefits even though I’m on regular SSI. Please respond 2 this accurate n honestly…Thank U VERY MUCH IN this matter.