Social Security gender gap means women receive about $4,800 less in annual benefits. What to know before claiming

Image Source | Image Source | Getty Images Women rely more on Social Security for income in retirement compared to men, according to new research from the AARP Public Policy Institute. Yet on average women receive about $4,800 less in Social Security retirement benefits annually than men, according to the provider of public policy research at AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing individuals 50 and over. The research pointed out a couple of factors that leave women at a financial disadvantage in retirement. First, women still tend to earn less than men. In the first quarter of 2026, women had $1,098 in median weekly earnings, or 80.6% of the $1,362 median for men, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data . Second, 61% of caregivers are women, according to AARP's research . Consequently, they are more likely to take time out of the work force or reduce their working hours to make time for those caretaking responsibilities. More from Women and Wealth: Both drivers tend to leave women with less retirement savings, making them more reliant on Social Security, according to AARP's research. Women also tend to live around five years longer than men on average, according to the National Center for Health Statistics . Research shows women are also more likely to need care. When paid care is used, the average lifetime cost for women age 65 and over is $350,000 versus $250,000 for men, according to JPMorgan Asset Management . …