The Typical Social Security Check for 87-Year-Old Retirees: How Does Yours Stack Up?

If you are 87 or nearing that age, your Social Security payment likely looks different from what a 67-year-old retiree receives, and not only because of cost-of-living increases. The age you filed, the economy you worked in, and even your sex can shape the size of your monthly benefit many years later.

Looking only at a national average can be misleading at this stage of retirement, because the numbers tell a more complicated story than a single figure can capture. Here is what the data says about Americans age 87, and why your own benefit matters more than any benchmark.

For retirees whose payments are below the average, finding ways to make retirement income go further can help a fixed budget last longer.

The average benefit for 87-year-olds, by the numbers

As of December 2025, the average monthly benefit for retired workers age 87 was $2,015.54, according to the Social Security Administration's age-by-age beneficiary data. That amounts to $2,180.24 for men and $1,875.35 for women at that age, a difference of about $305 per month.

For comparison, the average monthly benefit for all retired workers, no matter their age, was $2,071.30 as of December 2025, according to the same SSA dataset. In other words, the typical 87-year-old retiree receives a little less than the overall average.

Why benefits tend to be a bit lower at older ages

Social Security benefits are based on your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings, known as your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings, or AIME. That figure determines your Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA, which is the benefit you receive at full retirement age, the point at which you are entitled to 100% of your calculated benefit.

People who are 87 today were born around 1938 or 1939, which means their full retirement age was 65 or close to it, several years earlier than the full retirement age of 67 that applies to anyone born in 1960 or later. They also earned wages in a different era, when average lifetime earnings were lower than they are for workers today, and the taxable maximum was smaller. The cap on earnings subject to Social Security tax is $184,500 for 2026.

Many people in this age group filed for benefits decades ago. Although annual cost-of-living adjustments are added regardless of age, a benefit that started out lower years ago can still remain behind one that started later or at a higher claiming age, even after years of increases.

Why there is a gender gap

The difference between what men and women receive at age 87 is not because Social Security uses different formulas for each sex. The calculation rules are the same for everyone. The gap comes from lifetime earnings.

Women in this generation were more likely to step out of the workforce for caregiving, work part time, or earn less than men over the course of their careers, all of which can reduce the 35-year earnings average used in the benefit formula. SSA data for December 2025 shows the same trend across the wider retired-worker population, with men averaging $2,282 a month and women averaging $1,872, a difference of about $410.

It is also important to note that some women at this age receive benefits based on a spouse's record rather than their own, through spousal or survivor benefits, which operate differently from a retirement benefit based solely on personal earnings.

Social Security becomes even more important late in retirement

By the late 80s, Social Security is often more than a supplement. It frequently becomes the most dependable, and sometimes the main, source of monthly income. Pensions may have been set as fixed amounts decades earlier and lost ground to inflation over time. Investment accounts may have already been drawn down to help pay bills. Social Security, by contrast, is one of the few income sources that gets an annual inflation adjustment through the COLA.

That stability matters when managing withdrawals from retirement accounts. Required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from traditional 401(k)s and IRAs are mandatory withdrawals that generally must begin at a certain age under IRS rules, and they can increase taxable income in a given year. Combined with Social Security, that income may affect how much of a benefit is taxed.

Under current IRS and SSA rules, if combined income, which includes half of a Social Security benefit plus other income such as RMDs, pensions, or investment earnings, exceeds $25,000 for single filers or $32,000 for joint filers, up to 50% of the benefit may be taxable. At higher income levels, as much as 85% of the benefit can be taxed. These thresholds have not been adjusted for inflation in decades, so more retirees cross them each year as other income, including RMDs, rises.

Home equity adds another consideration. Many retirees in their late 80s have paid off their mortgages completely, which can lower monthly housing costs and help a fixed Social Security check go further. Others may be considering options such as downsizing or a reverse mortgage to add income, choices that depend heavily on health, housing expenses, and family needs.

What this comparison should, and should not, tell you

Finding that a benefit is above or below the average for age 87 does not mean something is wrong, or that someone has been shortchanged. It mostly reflects how long a person worked, what they earned, when they claimed benefits, and the broader economic conditions during their career, all of which are now fixed and cannot be changed.

A more helpful comparison is total monthly income: Social Security plus any pension, investment withdrawals, or part-time earnings, measured against actual expenses, especially health care and long-term care costs, which usually rise with age.

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B is $202.90 for 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and higher-income beneficiaries pay additional income-related monthly adjustment amounts on top of that. These premiums are often withheld directly from Social Security checks, which is important to remember when looking at net benefits.

Bottom line

The average Social Security benefit for 87-year-olds, $2,015.54 a month as of December 2025 according to the SSA, is slightly below the broader retired-worker average of $2,071.30. The roughly $305 monthly gap between men and women at this age reflects earnings differences from decades ago, not a different calculation for older beneficiaries.

Instead of treating those averages as a scorecard, it is better to use them as a starting point for a more personal question: Does your total income from Social Security, savings, and any remaining assets cover your actual retirement costs?

FAQs

Can I work at 87 without losing Social Security benefits?

Yes. Once you reach full retirement age, Social Security no longer limits how much you can earn while collecting retirement benefits. Your earnings may still affect your taxes, though.

Could my Social Security payment rise after my spouse dies?

Yes, if you qualify for a survivor benefit that is larger than your own retirement benefit. In that case, you generally receive the higher amount rather than both full payments combined. Contact Social Security to confirm your eligibility.