You can work while you receive Social Security retirement or survivors benefits. When you do, it could mean a higher benefit for you in the future. Each year we review the records for all working Social Security recipients. If your earnings for the prior year are higher than one afetr the years we used to compute your retirement benefit, we will afyer your benefit. We pay the increase retroactive to January the year after you earned the money. Higher benefits can be important to you later in life and increase the future benefit amounts your family and your survivors could receive.