Even after a 2.8% raise, you might still find the $2,071 average Social Security check a little disappointing. The $5,251 maximum benefit looks a whole lot better. Seniors lucky enough to qualify for the largest checks will take home more than $63,000 in 2026. That's about on par with what the average senior household spends in a year.
But as you might imagine, claiming the top Social Security benefit isn't easy. Most people will clear one or two of the required hurdles, but very few pass all three. Here's exactly what has to happen to get the largest checks possible.
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You must have worked at least 35 years before applying for benefits
The Social Security Administration looks at your 35 highest-earning years when calculating your monthly benefit. This doesn't mean you can't claim Social Security with a shorter work history. You can receive checks with as little as 10 years in the workforce. But applying before you've crossed the 35-year mark costs you.
Your benefit calculation will include zero-income years. Even one of these will drop your checks by several dollars. That could snowball into thousands of dollars less over your lifetime.
There's no downside to working longer than 35 years before applying, though. If you're making more money now than you did in the past, this could even boost your benefit.
You earned the maximum taxable earnings in each of your 35 highest-earning years
To claim the maximum Social Security benefit, you must have paid the maximum amount in Social Security taxes during each of your 35 highest-earning years. This amount varies by year.
In 2026, you only pay taxes on the first $184,500 you earn. This limit was lower in the past, but it always represented an equal challenge. For most people, this is the barrier that prevents them from claiming the largest Social Security checks.
You applied in 2025 at age 70
Applying for Social Security at age 70 is necessary to claim the largest benefit available in a given year. Waiting to apply slowly grows your monthly checks until you qualify for your largest benefit at 70.
Those who turned 70 in 2025 received $5,108 per month last year. After the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, this has increased to $5,251 per month.
Seniors applying at 70 in 2026 can claim the slightly smaller, though still impressive, sum of $5,181 per month. This would give them more than $62,000 in benefits this year.
When the maximum benefit is out of reach
Try not to be discouraged if the largest Social Security checks are out of reach for you. There are still things you can do to increase your benefits, like:
- Work longer if you're able to: This can help you avoid zero-income years in your benefit calculation and may boost the size of your checks.
- Negotiate a raise or find a better-paying job: Anything that boosts your income today will increase your future Social Security benefits, as long as you earn less than $184,500 in 2026.
- Start a side hustle: A side hustle is another way to increase your annual income if you cannot squeeze more money out of your regular job.
- Delay your Social Security application if you can afford to: If you're reasonably healthy and can cover your expenses some other way in the meantime, put your application off for a few months or years so you can grow your checks.
Even one of these can make a noticeable difference to your Social Security benefits. It may not get you to the maximum monthly benefit, but it could lead to a much more comfortable retirement.
