Why Your Neighbor's Social Security Check Is Bigger Than Yours -- and What You Can Still Do About It

You worked just as hard as your neighbor throughout your career, and yet they receive twice as much from Social Security as you do. It's frustrating, and it might be a bit confusing, too, if you're not familiar with how the government calculates your Social Security checks.

You may feel like there's nothing else you can do to increase your benefit if you've already signed up, but that's not always the case. There are still a few ways you can boost your future benefits, even after you've already applied.

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How the government calculates your Social Security benefits

Your Social Security checks are based on your average monthly earnings over your 35 highest-earning years. Only the money you've paid Social Security payroll taxes on counts. For most people, this is the same as their actual earnings for the year. However, that's not always the case for high earners, as this tax only applies to your first $184,500 in earnings in 2026.

The more money you've paid Social Security payroll taxes on, the larger your retirement benefits will be. But your age at sign-up matters, too. You must wait until your full retirement age (FRA) to be eligible for the full benefit you've earned. You can apply early, but doing so shrinks your checks by up to 30%. You can also delay benefits beyond your FRA, and they'll continue to grow until you qualify for your max benefit at 70.

If your neighbor earned significantly more than you throughout their career or if they claimed Social Security at a later age than you, that could explain why they receive larger checks. That doesn't mean you have to settle for smaller benefits forever, though.

How to boost your Social Security benefits after you've applied

If you regret signing up for Social Security when you did, you can withdraw your application, provided it's been less than 12 months since you signed up and you pay back all that you and any family members have received on your work record thus far. This is a one-time offer, and not everyone can pull it off. If you can, the Social Security Administration will treat you as if you never applied, and your future benefits will be larger.

Those who aren't able to withdraw their application can suspend benefits at their FRA. Contact the Social Security Administration to learn how. This will halt your checks until you either request that benefits resume or turn 70. For most workers today, it could grow your checks by up to 24%.

If you're still working and earn more than you did in years past, you might also find that your checks increase naturally over time. The Social Security Administration recalculates your benefit each year, and if your average monthly earnings have increased, this could lead to larger benefits, above and beyond the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase.

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