Delaying Social Security Can Increase Your Benefit, Except for One Type of Claimant

Many retirees rely on Social Security as their main source of income, so maximizing that benefit matters a lot. For people in that position, every extra dollar can make a meaningful difference.

The average monthly Social Security benefit is about $2,089. The program’s maximum monthly benefit in 2026 is $5,181, but reaching that level requires a long history of high earnings, which puts it out of reach for many people.

Even without a top-tier earnings record, some beneficiaries can still increase their monthly checks. However, that option is available only to certain claimants.

How delayed retirement credits work

Most people are entitled to full monthly Social Security benefits at full retirement age, or FRA, which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. If you wait beyond FRA to file, you can earn delayed retirement credits, which raise your monthly benefit directly.

Those credits are worth about two-thirds of 1% for each month you delay claiming after FRA. Over a year, that adds up to an 8% increase. If your FRA is 67 and you wait until 70 to claim, your monthly benefit rises by 24% for life.

Delayed retirement credits stop once you reach 70. Although people sometimes describe 70 as the last age to claim Social Security, that is not quite accurate. You can still file after 70 if you want, but there is no added financial benefit to waiting beyond that point.

Who can use delayed retirement credits

These credits apply to people claiming benefits based on their own work record. If you are filing for regular retirement benefits, waiting past FRA can increase your monthly payment.

They also apply to survivor benefits. If you were the higher earner in your household and die first, your spouse will generally receive survivor benefits equal to the monthly checks you were collecting. So if you delayed long enough to increase your benefit by 24%, that larger amount should carry over to your spouse’s survivor benefit as well.

Who does not get them

Delayed retirement credits are useful, but they do not apply to spousal benefits. Married people, and some divorced people, may be able to claim benefits based on a current or former spouse’s earnings record.

If you claim spousal benefits at your own FRA, you can receive up to 50% of your spouse’s FRA benefit, but no more. There are no delayed retirement credits for spousal benefits, so waiting beyond FRA does not increase that payment.

For instance, if your spouse’s FRA benefit is $2,000, and they raise it to $2,480 by earning delayed retirement credits over three years, your maximum spousal benefit would still be $1,000 per month if you wait until FRA to claim.

What to do if your benefit is smaller

Delayed retirement credits can boost benefits significantly, but they are not available in every situation and are not always easy to take advantage of.

If you want to delay claiming past FRA but cannot keep working full-time, you may need substantial savings to bridge the gap before Social Security starts.

That is why it is important to have a backup plan for retirement income. If you cannot use delayed retirement credits, or cannot fully use them, you should look for other sources of income, such as part-time work, savings, or investments that produce regular cash flow, including dividend-paying stocks and bonds.

The bottom line

Social Security may be a major part of your retirement plan. If you can wait long enough to maximize delayed retirement credits, you could raise your benefit meaningfully and reduce long-term financial pressure.

Still, those credits do not apply to everyone, and they are not always easy to secure. Spousal benefits do not qualify, and if you cannot keep working or rely on savings while you delay, you may not be able to wait past FRA to get them.

For that reason, your retirement income plan should not depend entirely on delayed retirement credits and a larger Social Security check. It is wise to have another source of support in place if those credits are out of reach.