AARP Warns Millions of Women Are Being Shortchanged on Social Security

Many seniors end up living on just Social Security. And sometimes, that can't be helped. Rising expenses, stagnant wages, and other circumstances can create a scenario where saving for retirement becomes difficult to impossible.

But while living on Social Security alone may be difficult for retirees in general, it may be even harder for women. The reason? New data from AARP finds that women collect $4,800 less in Social Security benefits than men do on an annual basis. But AARP also says that women tend to rely on Social Security more than men.

Here's why Social Security tends to pay women less money, and how female beneficiaries can take steps to squeeze more money out of the program.

Why women tend to get less Social Security

There are a couple of reasons why women tend to collect smaller Social Security checks than their male counterparts. And they both boil down to the formula used to calculate benefits.

Social Security benefits are calculated based on workers' 35 highest-paid years of earnings. Earlier wages are adjusted for inflation in that formula. This hurts women because female workers tend to earn less than their male counterparts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the first quarter of 2026, women had median weekly earnings of $1,098, compared to $1,362 for men. This means women earned 80.6 cents for every $1 men earned.

AARP, meanwhile, reports that 61% of women are caregivers. This means that women are more likely to take time out of the workforce or end their careers early. But fewer working years could leave women with less than 35 years of wages on record, which hurts them when Social Security benefits are calculated.

For women, smaller benefits are a double whammy

Collecting less Social Security than their male counterparts is apt to sting for women in its own right. But compounding the problem is the fact that women tend to live longer than men and therefore have greater financial needs in retirement.

AARP reports that on average, women live about five years longer than men. This means they're more likely to have higher health care needs and a greater risk of running out of savings.

Milliman's 2025 Retiree Health Cost Index found that the typical woman retiring at age 65 would need $313,000 to cover remaining lifetime health care expenses. The typical man only needs $275,000. Collecting less Social Security makes it even harder for women to keep up with these costs.

Securing larger benefits is possible

While women may typically get less Social Security than their male counterparts, that doesn't mean they can't take steps to boost their monthly benefits. One of the best ways to do so is to delay signing up for benefits until age 70.

All Social Security claimants can first file for retirement benefits at 62. And for people born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. That's when they can receive benefits without a reduction. But claiming at 62 comes with a permanent penalty: benefits are reduced by up to 30%, meaning a lifetime monthly check at just 70% of the full amount for those with a full retirement age of 67. For women, whose longer lifespans mean they'll collect that reduced check for more years, the lifetime cost of claiming early adds up quickly.

But for each year benefit claims are delayed past full retirement age, those monthly checks grow 8%, up until age 70. A woman born in 1960 or later can boost her benefits by 24% by filing for Social Security benefits at 70 instead of at 67.

Maximizing spousal and survivor benefits is key

Another thing women can do to boost their Social Security payments is to take advantage of spousal and survivor benefits. Spousal benefits max out at 50% of a spouse's primary insurance amount at full retirement age. For some women, claiming spousal benefits could make more sense than collecting benefits based on their own earnings records.

Someone whose spouse is eligible for $3,000 as a primary insurance amount, for example, can collect up to $1,500 in spousal benefits. If that same person is eligible for $1,200 a month based on their own wage record, claiming spousal benefits makes more sense. Spousal benefits are also available to divorced spouses who meet certain requirements.

It's also crucial for married women to talk to their male spouses about maximizing survivor benefits. Survivor benefits are equal to 100% of a deceased spouse's benefit. If the male spouse is the higher earner in a given household, having him delay his Social Security claim to age 70 could result in larger survivor benefits for a female spouse who outlives him.

AARP says that 3.3 million women ages 60 and older receive survivor benefits from Social Security, compared to just over 180,000 men ages 60 and over. Married women should advocate for themselves and remind their spouses to consider survivor benefits in their claiming decisions.

Bottom line

Social Security plays a big role in one's retirement plan. Even though women may typically receive smaller benefits than men, that doesn't mean steps can't be taken to lock in larger monthly checks.

If you're a woman nearing retirement, it's important to strategize on ways to boost your Social Security, since it may be your only guaranteed source of income for life. That could mean waiting until 70 to claim Social Security if you're doing so based on your own wage record or encouraging your spouse to claim benefits at 70 if they're the higher earner in your household.