It is possible to get a new monthly Social Security retirement check if you live in the United States, but it is also true that in order to start receiving one of these benefits, you must meet certain requirements. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you will not be able to get this monthly check, so you must keep these obligations in mind.
Without a doubt, the collection of a retirement payment is a financial relief for United States citizens, as it provides them with a fixed monthly income to help pay their bills. However, the Social Security Administration does have certain requirements for the monthly payment, as well as for any additional checks.
Requirements for Social Security payment in April 2025
When determining whether or not we are eligible to receive a retirement payment, we must take several elements into account. First of all, we have to bear in mind that applying for a retirement payment due to old age is not the same as applying for a disability payment. In this case we are talking about the old-age retirement payment, as the SSDI check follows different rules.
In order to apply for the monthly Social Security payment for retirement in April 2025, we must bear in mind that two requirements must be met:
- Have worked a minimum of 10 years.
- Be 62 years of age.
If we are not yet 62 years old, we cannot apply for this retirement payment, but we could apply for other different payments such as the check for Disability, for a spouse or for any other type of retirement. Even so, the payment for these characteristics is usually very low, so it is not advisable to meet the minimum requirements and go a little further.
How to maximize the Social Security check?
In order to have a check that is higher than the minimum retirement payment, we must take several aspects into account. The first of these is the retirement age. The second is the salary during the years worked. The third aspect would be the years worked.
With the goal of maximizing all monthly retirement checks in mind, what we should do is follow this structure:
- Wait until the age of 70 before applying for retirement.
- Work for a minimum of 35 years.
- Earn the highest possible salary during your working years.
Although it is true that not all citizens can earn a higher salary before applying for Social Security, it is also true that there is always something we can do, such as changing sectors, asking for a raise or something similar. It is not very easy to achieve, but it is possible in many cases.