How to Find Out If Your Social Security Benefit Is as High as It Should Be

You work hard throughout your career so you can receive the largest possible Social Security benefits. You've carefully chosen your claiming age to maximize your lifetime payout. You've handled everything right on your end, so it can be a bit surprising to find out you're getting less Social Security than you deserve.

It's more common than you think, but fortunately, the problem is fixable. Here's how to know if you're getting the full benefit you've earned, and what to do if you're getting smaller Social Security checks than you qualify to receive.

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How to make sure your Social Security benefit is accurate

The Social Security Administration bases your benefit on the income you've paid Social Security payroll taxes on during your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. It tracks this information in your earnings record.

This data comes directly from the IRS, so it's normally accurate. But sometimes, mistakes happen. If you fail to notify your employer of a name change, for example, or your employer accidentally transposes some digits in your Social Security number when entering your information into their system, this could result in some of your income getting recorded incorrectly.

If this happens to you, the Social Security Administration might pay you a smaller monthly benefit than you qualify to get. You can usually fix this issue, but first, you have to know whether it applies to you.

How to find and fix errors in your Social Security earnings record

The first step is to check your earnings record for anything that looks off. You can do this by creating a free My Social Security account. You will need to answer some identity verification questions to create your account, but after that, you'll be able to log in with a username and password.

Review your earnings record for anything that looks wrong, especially a year that shows no income when you know you've worked. This could be a sign that you're getting a smaller Social Security benefit than you deserve.

One thing to note for high earners: Your earnings record shows how much you've paid Social Security payroll taxes on each year, which may not always be the same as your income. For example, in 2025, only the first $176,100 you earned was subject to taxes. If you earned $500,000 last year, your earnings record would show $176,100 instead, and that's not a mistake. You can view a list of the maximum taxable earnings from all past years on the Social Security Administration website.

If you spot a mistake, contact the Social Security Administration immediately. Send copies of any tax documents you have proving your actual income for that year. The Social Security Administration will evaluate your claims, and if it finds they're accurate, it will update your earnings record and increase your benefit accordingly.

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