You can be retired, collecting Social Security, paying Medicare premiums every month, and still be leaving real money on the table. Not because of a technicality or a fine-print trap, but because nobody ever sat you down and said: “Here's what you need to apply for.”
The federal government has retirement and healthcare benefits that go unclaimed every year, not because people are ineligible but because they don't know the programs exist, didn't realize they qualify, or assumed someone would tell them when the time came. Nobody does.
Some of these are worth hundreds of dollars a month. A few are worth thousands annually. All of them require you to apply.
Social Security spousal benefit
If you are married and your own Social Security retirement benefit is less than half of your spouse's, you may be entitled to a spousal benefit instead. Spousal benefits can be worth up to 50% of what your spouse receives at their full retirement age. You don't need a work history of your own to qualify, though you must be at least 62 and have been married for at least one year.
The key rule people miss: you can't claim a spousal benefit until your spouse has filed for their own Social Security. The benefit doesn't stack on top of yours either. Social Security pays whichever amount is higher, your own retirement benefit or the spousal benefit. So if you earned a small benefit on your own record, and the spousal benefit would be larger, SSA pays the spousal amount.
Claiming before your full retirement age permanently reduces the spousal benefit. Waiting past your full retirement age, however, does not increase it the way it would for your own benefit. Once you hit full retirement age, there's no financial reason to wait any longer to claim the spousal benefit.
Divorced spouse's Social Security benefit
A marriage that ended in divorce doesn't end your potential claim on your ex-spouse's Social Security record. If you were married for at least 10 years, are currently unmarried, and are at least 62, you may qualify for a benefit worth up to 50% of your ex-spouse's primary insurance amount. Your ex's marital status doesn't matter, and your claim has no effect on what they receive.
One important rule that catches people off guard: if you've been divorced for more than two years, you can file independently, even if your ex-spouse hasn't started collecting yet. You don't have to wait for them. If you divorced more recently, your ex generally needs to have filed first.
The divorced spousal benefit works the same as the married spousal benefit when it comes to claiming age. Taking it before your full retirement age permanently reduces the monthly amount. Waiting past full retirement age doesn't increase it. You apply through SSA directly, either online, by phone at 800-772-1213, or in person at a local Social Security office.
Survivor benefits as a widow or widower
When a spouse dies, the surviving partner can collect Social Security survivor benefits based on the deceased's earnings record. Survivor benefits can be worth up to 100% of what the deceased was receiving, or would have received at full retirement age. Unlike spousal benefits, which max out at 50%, survivor benefits can fully replace what a spouse was collecting.
Survivor benefits can begin as early as age 60, or 50 if you are disabled. If you are caring for a child under 16 from the marriage, there's no age minimum at all. The timing matters: taking survivor benefits before your own full retirement age permanently reduces them to between 71.5% and 99% of the full amount, depending on how early you file.
Divorced spouses also qualify if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and they are currently unmarried, or remarried after age 60. One important detail: survivor benefits do not convert automatically when a spouse dies. You have to call SSA or visit an office to apply. They cannot be started online.
Delayed retirement credits
Most people claim Social Security as early as they can. Only about 10% of new claimants wait until age 70. The ones who wait, when they can afford to, end up with significantly larger checks for the rest of their lives. For every year you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your benefit grows by 8%, up to age 70. Someone with a full retirement age of 67 who waits until 70 collects 24% more per month than they would have at 67.
The credit is calculated monthly, not annually, so you don't have to wait a full year to see any increase. Each month past full retirement age adds roughly two-thirds of a percentage point. Waiting 12 months adds 8%. These increases are permanent and built into every future cost-of-living adjustment, so the advantage compounds over time.
The break-even point, the age at which waiting pays off financially, typically falls around 12 to 14 years after your full retirement age. For most people, that's somewhere in their late 70s to early 80s. Health, other income sources, and whether there's a surviving spouse to consider all factor into this decision. But the strategy is one that millions of retirees never fully understand before filing.
Restored Social Security benefits for teachers, police, and firefighters
For decades, teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other state and local government employees who also had some Social Security-covered work saw their benefits reduced by two provisions called the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. In January 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act eliminated both provisions, restoring full benefits to more than 2.8 million people. The change was made retroactive to January 2024.
SSA processed most of the recalculations automatically and issued lump-sum retroactive payments covering January 2024 through the implementation date. By mid-2025, over $17 billion in retroactive payments had gone out. But not everyone affected has confirmed they received the correct adjustment. If you worked in public service and also paid into Social Security at some point in your career, and if your benefit was previously reduced, it's worth reviewing your current award letter against what you should now be receiving.
Some people are still waiting for their full corrections. If you believe your benefit was affected by either provision and haven't received confirmation of an increase, contact SSA directly. The agency's main number is 800-772-1213. Keep your pension documentation accessible, as the recalculation depends on your pension amount and work history.
Medicare Savings Programs
Medicare premiums are not a fixed cost everyone pays equally. If your income falls below certain thresholds, Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium for you, which is $202.90 per month in 2026. The most comprehensive tier, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program, also covers Medicare deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. That's the premium plus much of what you'd pay out of pocket every time you use the healthcare system.
The four program tiers have different income limits, and the rules are more generous than many people expect. In most states, a single person with monthly income up to roughly $1,350 qualifies for the QMB tier. Some states set higher thresholds, and more than a dozen states don't count assets at all when determining eligibility. Income from work is also typically counted differently than other income, meaning someone with a part-time job might still qualify.
These programs are run through state Medicaid offices, not through Medicare itself. You apply through your state, not through the federal government. Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program office can help with the application, or you can contact your state Medicaid agency directly. The application doesn't take long, but you have to initiate it yourself.
Extra Help for Medicare drug costs
The prescription drug coverage side of Medicare, Part D, comes with its own out-of-pocket costs: monthly premiums, deductibles, and copays. For lower-income Medicare recipients, a program called Extra Help, also known as the Low Income Subsidy, can cover most or all of those costs. SSA estimates the average annual value of Extra Help at $5,700 per person.
To qualify in 2026, your income generally needs to be at or below $23,475 annually if you're single, or $31,725 if you're married and living with your spouse. Resource limits also apply: $18,090 for individuals and $36,100 for couples. Those limits exclude your home, your car, and a set-aside for burial expenses. With Extra Help, your copay for covered drugs is capped at $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name medications. After you hit the annual out-of-pocket spending cap of $2,100, covered drugs cost nothing for the rest of the year.
Some people are automatically enrolled in Extra Help if they already receive full Medicaid or SSI. Everyone else needs to apply through SSA. You can apply online at ssa.gov, by calling 800-772-1213, or in person. Even if you've been denied in the past, it's worth applying again if your circumstances have changed or if the income thresholds have moved in your favor since you last checked.
Supplemental Security Income for people 65 and older
Supplemental Security Income is a cash benefit for people with limited income and resources who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled. It is separate from Social Security retirement benefits and does not require a work history to receive. The maximum federal SSI payment in 2026 is $994 per month for an individual and $1,491 for an eligible couple. Some states add a supplement on top of that.
Many older adults assume they won't qualify because they already receive Social Security. That's often wrong. Social Security does count as income toward SSI eligibility, but not dollar for dollar. SSA excludes the first $20 of unearned income each month from the calculation. So someone collecting a small Social Security check may still be eligible for a partial SSI benefit that tops up their total income. The asset limit is $2,000 for individuals, but your home, your car, and most retirement accounts don't count toward that number.
SSI also typically comes with automatic Medicaid eligibility in most states, which makes it worth pursuing even when the monthly payment is modest. You apply through SSA, and unlike some programs, you can start the process online. If you're approaching 65 and living on a limited income, it's worth checking before assuming you don't qualify. The eligibility rules are more nuanced than they appear.
VA Aid and Attendance benefit
Veterans who served at least one day during a wartime period, are 65 or older or permanently disabled, and need help with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, or eating, may qualify for a VA pension enhancement called Aid and Attendance. This benefit can bring the maximum annual pension for a married veteran to over $34,000 in 2026. Surviving spouses of qualifying veterans are also eligible.
The VA uses a net worth test rather than a simple income cutoff. The net worth limit for 2026 is $163,699, and your primary home and vehicle are excluded from that calculation. Unreimbursed medical expenses, such as ongoing care costs at an assisted living facility, are subtracted from countable income, which often brings people who look over the income limit back into eligibility. Many families with a parent in assisted living and modest savings are surprised to find out they qualify.
This is not a service-connected disability benefit. You don't need a service-related injury or illness to receive it. A veteran simply needs to have served during a qualifying wartime period, have limited income and assets, and require daily care assistance. The application process involves VA Form 21-2680, which a physician completes, along with financial documentation. Working with a VA-accredited claims agent is free and can significantly reduce errors that delay approval.
SNAP benefits for retirees on fixed incomes
SNAP, the federal food assistance program, is commonly associated with families and working-age people with low incomes. It is also available to older adults on fixed incomes, and the eligibility rules for seniors are actually more lenient than for younger households. Households with a member who is 60 or older only need to meet the net income test, not the gross income test that applies to everyone else.
For seniors, net income means gross income after allowable deductions, including a standard deduction and a medical expense deduction for out-of-pocket health costs above $35 per month. Those deductions can significantly reduce what counts as income for SNAP purposes, bringing many people who appear ineligible into qualification. The asset limit for seniors is $4,500, and your home, car, and retirement savings are excluded from that calculation.
Despite favorable eligibility terms, roughly three out of five seniors who qualify for SNAP are not enrolled. The stigma is real, and many people simply don't know the rules differ for their age group. SNAP benefits are loaded monthly onto an EBT card, which functions like a debit card at most grocery stores. To apply, visit your state's SNAP office, either online or in person. The USDA's website can connect you to your state's application portal.
PBGC's unclaimed pension search
If you worked for a private-sector employer that offered a traditional pension plan, and that company later went under or terminated the plan, your pension benefit may still exist, just somewhere you haven't looked. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal agency that insures private pension plans, maintains a searchable database of unclaimed benefits from terminated pension plans. You search using your last name and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
People end up in this database for a number of reasons: the employer lost track of a former employee's address, the worker moved or changed names and never updated the plan, the company went through multiple sales or mergers before the plan ended. The database includes defined benefit plans, some 401(k)-type plans, and plans from small businesses. It is updated quarterly, with the most recent update in May 2026.
A search takes about 30 seconds. If your name appears, you'll need to contact PBGC to claim your benefit, which requires documentation of your identity and your work history with the employer. The benefit can be paid as a monthly annuity or, in some cases, a lump sum. There's no expiration on these benefits. If you've worked for multiple employers over the course of a career, it's worth checking your name against the database at pbgc.gov.
Free Medicare counseling through SHIP
Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, called SHIP, which provides free, one-on-one counseling to anyone on Medicare or approaching Medicare eligibility. SHIP counselors are not affiliated with any insurance company and do not sell anything. They help you compare Medicare Advantage versus original Medicare, understand Part D options, review your coverage during annual enrollment, file Medicare appeals, and identify cost-saving programs you may be eligible for.
The service exists specifically because Medicare is complicated enough that people routinely pick plans that don't match their actual medications or providers, overpay on premiums, or miss enrollment windows that result in permanent penalties. A counselor who knows the local plan landscape and your personal situation can walk through the actual numbers in a way that a call to Medicare's 800 number usually can't replicate.
To find your state's SHIP, go to shiphelp.org and click “Find Your Local SHIP.” The name of the program varies by state, but the service is the same everywhere. Appointments are available by phone, video, and in person. There is no income requirement and no charge. If you're picking Medicare coverage for the first time or approaching the annual enrollment period and aren't confident you're in the right plan, this is the most direct way to get honest, personalized guidance.
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