# 6 Ways to Boost Your Social Security Before You Claim
Social Security benefits rest heavily on your earnings history, but you can take concrete steps now to maximize what you collect later. Here are the practical moves that work.
**Increase Your Income** Social Security calculates benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If you have low-earning years on record, boosting your income in upcoming years pushes out those smaller figures. Work longer at your current job, start a side business, or take on freelance work. Each additional dollar counted in Social Security's formula raises your benefit amount.
**Fill in Missing Work Years** Gaps in your employment history reduce your average earnings. If you took time off for caregiving or unemployment, returning to the workforce fills those blanks. Even part-time work counts toward your earnings record.
**Coordinate with Your Spouse** Married couples can strategically time claims. If one spouse has significantly higher earnings, the lower-earning spouse may qualify for spousal benefits worth up to 50% of the higher earner's full retirement age benefit. Your birth year determines whether you can still access this rule. Couples born in 1954 or later have fewer options, but coordination still matters for timing decisions.
**Delay Your Claim** Every year you wait beyond full retirement age adds 8% to your benefit until age 70. A worker with a full retirement age of 67 who waits until 70 receives 24% more in lifetime benefits. This strategy works best if you expect longevity in your family or have other income sources.
**Ensure Accurate Earnings Records** Errors on your Social Security statement compound over decades. Review your earnings history at ssa.gov annually. Report discrepancies immediately. Correcting a missing year of income can significantly boost your benefit calculation.
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