Retirement Social Security

The One Social Security Move That Could Add $100s to Your Monthly Check

See how you can raise your lifetime monthly income.

By David Maina

Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated Jan. 20, 2026

For many retirees, Social Security feels like a fixed number. You file, the checks start, and whatever lands in your account each month becomes the number you learn to live with.

What's easy to miss is how much control you still have before you ever claim. One decision in particular — when you start collecting — can meaningfully change the size of your monthly check.

For people born in 1960 or later with a full retirement age (FRA) of 67, waiting until as late as 70 can push that number much higher.

Here's why delaying your claim is one of the most effective moves you can make for your retirement plan.

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How waiting to claim raises your monthly check

The impact of waiting becomes clear once you look at how Social Security adjusts benefits over time. For people born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67, which is when you qualify for 100% of your benefit.

If you delay beyond that point, Social Security keeps increasing your check. For every month you wait after 67, you earn delayed retirement credits of about 0.667%, or roughly 8% per year. Those increases are permanent and apply to every future payment.

By age 70, your benefit rises to about 124% of what it would have been at 67. In practical terms, the average benefit of around $2,071 at full retirement age would grow to roughly $2,570 per month, about $500 more every month for life.

In contrast, claiming early works in the opposite direction. Starting at 62 permanently reduces your benefit by about 30% if your full retirement age is 67, locking in a smaller check for the rest of your life.

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The long-term payoff of a higher monthly benefit

Delaying can also strengthen how your income holds up over time. For instance, Social Security applies cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) each year so benefits keep pace with prices.

When you lock in a higher base benefit by waiting, every future COLA is applied to a larger number. A small percentage increase may not look like much, but on a bigger check, it adds more dollars, year after year. Over a long retirement, that gap keeps widening.

Longevity makes that even more important. Social Security provides lifetime benefits, and many people who reach their mid-60s go on to live into their 80s or 90s. A higher monthly benefit lasts for all of those years, when other savings may be under more pressure.

For couples, the protection goes even further. If you are the higher earner, delaying your claim not only increases your own benefit but also the survivor benefit your spouse may rely on later. A larger check for you today can translate into a larger check for your spouse after you are gone.

When this move makes sense, and when it might not

Delaying your Social Security claim can pay off, but it depends on your situation. The biggest factors come down to how long you expect to collect benefits and whether you need the income now.

It tends to make more sense to delay if:

You are in good health and expect to live into your 80s or beyond, giving you more years to benefit from the higher check.
You have savings, a pension, or other income that can cover expenses while you wait.
You are the higher earner in a couple and want to increase the survivor benefit your spouse may rely on later.

On the other hand, claiming earlier may be more practical if:

You need the income now to pay for housing, medical costs, or daily living.
You have limited savings or other income, making it hard to bridge the gap.
Health concerns or life expectancy make waiting less likely to pay off.

Work plans can play a role as well. If you keep working before full retirement age, Social Security may withhold some benefits because of the earnings test. Those amounts are credited back later, and in some cases, continued work can even raise your future benefit, but the short-term reduction still affects cash flow.

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How to run the numbers for your situation

The easiest way to see the impact of delaying is through a my Social Security account on SSA.gov. Once you log in, you can view benefit estimates based on your actual earnings, including side-by-side amounts for claiming at 62, at full retirement age, and at 70.

If you do not have an account, Social Security also offers online calculators that let you enter earnings or use standard assumptions to compare different claiming ages. They are useful for quick comparisons, though your personal account provides the most precise numbers.

If you want a second set of eyes, you can also contact Social Security or speak with a financial professional who understands how the current rules work.

Bottom line

Delaying your claim means trading some income now for a higher, inflation-adjusted payment for the rest of your life, which can translate into hundreds of extra dollars each month.

That tradeoff is personal, though. If you need the money now or face health concerns, claiming earlier may make sense. But if you can afford to wait, delaying is one of the most effective ways to avoid running out of money in retirement. Put your numbers side by side, and choose the path that gives you the strongest long-term footing.

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