If you know anyone on Social Security, you may have heard them complain that their checks don't go far enough. While the average monthly benefit has now climbed to nearly $2,000, that's still well below what the average senior household spends. Yet there are some retirees that could live pretty well off Social Security if they wanted to.

The maximum monthly check is $5,108, which adds up to an annual benefit of over $61,000. This number continues to rise every year, and there are actually only three criteria you have to meet -- but only a few ever pull it off.

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1. Work at least 35 years before retiring

The Social Security Administration bases your benefit on your average monthly earnings over your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. You can still claim benefits with a work history as short as 10 years. But if possible, it's worth sticking it out until you reach the 35-year mark.

Claiming checks with a shorter work history means you'll have one or more zero-income years factored into your benefit calculation. Even one of these is enough to permanently reduce your checks by several dollars. This can result in thousands of dollars in lost benefits over your lifetime.

On the other hand, working longer than 35 years could increase your benefits if you're earning more now than you did early in your career. That's because these more recent, higher-earning years slowly push your earlier, lower-earning years out of the benefit calculation.

2. Pay the maximum Social Security payroll tax each year

You probably pay Social Security payroll taxes on all of your income each year, but this isn't true for everyone. In 2025, Social Security tax stops once you earn more than $176,100. This limit adjusts annually for inflation.

You must earn an amount equal to or greater than the annual limit in at least 35 years in order to qualify for Social Security's largest checks. This is the reason most people don't manage to take home the max benefit. Few earn that much annually, and the ceiling only rises with time.

However, even if your income bars you from claiming the maximum Social Security amount, you can still use this knowledge to help you grow your own checks. Anything you can do today to boost your income -- finding better-paying employment elsewhere, negotiating a raise, starting a side hustle -- will likely lead to larger benefits in retirement.

3. Sign up at 70

You can apply for Social Security as early as age 62, and many choose to sign up then. But this isn't always your best option if you're trying to maximize your lifetime benefit. Every month you delay Social Security increases your benefit by anywhere from 5/12 of 1% to 2/3 of 1% per month until you qualify for your largest checks at 70.

If you hope to claim the $5,108 max monthly benefit, you'll need to wait at least this long to sign up. If you claim at 62, your largest checks would be just $2,831 per month in 2025.

It's worth noting that claiming at 70 isn't the right choice for everyone. If you have a short life expectancy, you may get a larger lifetime benefit by claiming early. And if you don't have any other way to cover your expenses until 70, signing up for Social Security early is likely a better option than taking on debt.

Choosing the claiming age that makes the most sense for you is one of the best ways for you to maximize your lifetime Social Security benefit, even if your monthly checks fall short of the program's top prize. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust your planned claiming age if your health or financial situation takes a turn, or if the government makes significant changes to Social Security in the future.

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It's pretty difficult to turn on the TV or even scroll through your social media feed these days without seeing some mention of President Donald Trump. Whether you voted for him or not, you probably want to stay informed about the changes he's been making, especially if they will affect your finances.

This is especially true for retirees living on fixed incomes who often depend heavily on their Social Security checks. President Trump appealed to these voters during his campaign, promising to end Social Security benefit taxes so they can keep more of their checks.

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This is still a work in progress. It'll take a new law from Congress to make such a major change. But that doesn't mean Social Security has been left untouched by President Trump's attempts to overhaul the federal government. He has made six Social Security changes so far, some of which have already gone into effect while others will come into play later in the year.

1. Facilitating the Social Security Fairness Act's benefit increase for 3.2 million seniors

Former President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act in his final days in office. This law eliminated two provisions, one that reduced benefits for retirees receiving pensions from employers that did not withhold Social Security taxes and the other for their family members. However, the Biden administration didn't have time to facilitate the benefit increases and the millions of dollars in back benefits the law called for. That fell to the Trump administration.

Though initially, the Social Security Administration (SSA) estimated it could take up to one year for the 3.2 million affected beneficiaries to receive the extra money they're now entitled to, it was able to automate much of this change. Most affected seniors received a one-time payment for any back benefits they were entitled to in March 2025 and will see a permanent benefit increase with their April 2025 payment.

There are some complex cases that the SSA couldn't automate. If yours is among them, you may have to wait up to one year to get the extra money you're owed. If your April payment is the same as your March payment and you think you should be entitled to more under the Social Security Fairness Act, contact the SSA.

2. Terminating some Social Security office leases

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump administration initiative headed by billionaire Elon Musk, lists several Social Security office leases among its list of savings generated thus far. However, a recent SSA blog post clarified that the government hasn't permanently closed any local field offices.

It did close one hearing office in White Plains, New York, and it may temporarily close field offices due to bad weather or a facilities issue. If you're unsure whether any field offices near you are closed, you can use the SSA's Field Office Locator tool to check.

3. Reinstating the 100% overpayment recovery rate

In 2024, the Biden administration reduced the Social Security overpayment recovery rate to the greater of $10 or 10% of your checks. For example, if you received $1,000 in extra Social Security benefits due to a clerical error and couldn't pay it back right away, the SSA could withhold either $10 or 10% of your checks, whichever was larger, each month until it reclaimed the extra $1,000.

The Trump administration has reinstated the 100% overpayment recovery rate that was in place before the 2024 rule change. This will apply to all overpayments that occur on or after March 27, 2025. Overpayments that occurred before this date will retain the 10% cap, as will Supplemental Security Income (SSI) overpayments.

If you can't afford to lose your checks due to overpayment recovery, you can contact the SSA to request a lower recovery rate. You can also request a waiver of overpayment recovery. This may let you keep the extra money if you can prove to the SSA that the overpayment wasn't your fault and you can't afford to pay it back.

4. Expediting direct deposit changes

Changing your direct deposit information with the SSA used to take up to 30 days. Beginning in April 2025, these updates will now take just one business day. The easiest way to make these changes is to set up a my Social Security account, where you can view and update all your Social Security information.

5. Adding new identity verification requirements

Beginning April 14, 2025, it will no longer be possible to make account changes or complete new Social Security applications over the phone. You may begin the application process by phone if you prefer, but you must either use your my Social Security account or visit a local field office where you'll need to present your ID for verification to complete your application.

This rule will not apply to those signing up for Social Security disability benefits, Medicare, or SSI. These individuals will be able to complete their applications entirely over the phone if they're unable to do so through their my Social Security account.

6. Ending delivery of most paper Social Security checks

The Trump administration has announced that the SSA will end the delivery of most physical Social Security checks on Sept. 30, 2025. There will be exceptions for individuals without bank accounts into which the SSA can directly deposit checks.

It's not clear yet what steps, if any, you may have to take to continue receiving paper checks after Sept. 30 if you don't have a bank account. If you're currently receiving paper checks, you'll likely get more guidance on how the SSA will handle this as we approach the September deadline.

It's likely that we could see even more Social Security changes as we move deeper into 2025, including a possible end to Social Security benefit taxes on seniors. If bigger changes like this arise, seniors may need to take some time to review their budgets going forward.

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