You probably already know that your Social Security benefit is based on several factors unique to you, including your earnings history and your age at sign-up. Because of this, it can be difficult to know exactly how much you’ll get from the program before you apply.
Hopefully, you get enough to supplement your personal savings so you can afford to retire comfortably. But there are situations that could cause you to wind up with less than what you expected to receive, including the following seven things.
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1. A short work history
You must have at least 40 work credits to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits. One credit is defined as $1,810 in earnings in 2025 and you can earn a maximum of four credits per year. Those with fewer credits will not be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, though they could still receive spousal benefits on the work record of a spouse who does qualify.
As long as you’ve worked at least 10 years and made enough each year to get the maximum credits, you should be entitled to some Social Security checks in retirement. But you still could wind up with less than you expected. The government bases your benefit on your average monthly earnings over your 35 highest-earning years. Shorter work histories lead to zero-income years in your benefit calculation, which shrink your checks. Whenever possible, work at least 35 years before signing up to avoid this.
2. Low (or high) lifetime earnings
Your Social Security benefit is based on your earnings history throughout your career, so if you’ve made a lot of money in the past, you’ll typically get larger checks than someone with lower average earnings. A low earnings history could lead to a smaller Social Security benefit than you were expecting.
Interestingly, some high earners might be surprised by the size of their checks, too. They can get drastically less than expected because of the Social Security taxable wage base. This is an annual limit on Social Security payroll taxes. It’s $176,100 in 2025. Anything over this limit isn’t subject to Social Security tax so it also doesn’t count toward your monthly benefit in retirement.
3. Claiming early
There’s an early claiming penalty for those who apply for Social Security under their full retirement age (FRA) — 67 for most workers today. Those seeking retirement benefits lose 5/9 of 1% per month for up to 36 months of early claiming, then 5/12 of 1% per month for every month thereafter. So if you apply immediately at 62 and have an FRA of 67, you’d shrink your checks by 30%. That said, this could still be a wise move if you don’t expect to live long or cannot afford to cover your expenses any other way.
You’ll also want to watch for the earnings test if you’re working and claiming Social Security under your FRA. The government withholds $1 from your annual benefit for every $2 you earn over $23,400 if you’ll be under your FRA all year. You only lose $1 for every $3 you earn over $62,160 if you’ll reach your FRA this year and hit this limit before your birthday. Fortunately, money withheld due to the earnings test comes back to you as a permanent benefit boost when you reach your FRA.
4. Owing certain debts
Most creditors cannot garnish your Social Security checks if you have unpaid debts. But there are a few exceptions. If you owe the federal government — for example, if you owe back taxes — it can withhold 15% of each of your checks going forward until it recoups the unpaid amount.
The Social Security Administration could also garnish your checks for unpaid child support or alimony. It can withhold anywhere from 50% to 65% of your checks in this case.
5. Changes to your marital status
Those claiming spousal Social Security benefits who get a divorce may no longer be eligible to claim on their ex’s work record if they were married for less than 10 years before divorcing. However, they may still be eligible to claim retirement benefits on their own work record.
Remarriage could also affect your benefit eligibility. If you hoped to claim spousal benefits on an ex’s work record but you remarry, you will no longer have that option. You will be able to claim spousal benefits on your new partner’s record, though, if they’re claiming retirement benefits.
6. Being on Medicare
When you’re on Social Security and Medicare, the Social Security Administration typically withholds Medicare Part B premiums from your Social Security checks. These premiums cost $185 per month in 2025.
You can elect to pay your Medicare premiums another way, but most seniors prefer the automatic withdrawal. Having the money taken directly out of your Social Security checks gives you one less bill to track.
7. Income taxes on Social Security benefits
Social Security benefit taxes may not reduce your monthly checks directly, though they can reduce the benefit you actually get to keep. If you’re subject to these taxes, you could wind up with an unexpected bill when you file your return.
You can prepare for this by saving for that tax in advance. Or you can request that the Social Security Administration withhold a portion of your checks upfront for taxes.
Regardless of the reason, if you have any questions about why your Social Security check is different than what you were expecting, it’s best to contact the Social Security Administration for clarification. You can do this over the phone or at a local field office.