In April, the average retired-worker beneficiary brought home $1,915.26 from Social Security, which works out to nearly $23,000 on an annualized basis. While this might not sound like much, Social Security plays a key role in forging a financial foundation during retirement for most Americans.

In each of the previous 22 years, national pollster Gallup has surveyed then-current retirees to gauge how reliant they are on their monthly Social Security check. These surveys have shown that no fewer than 80% of respondents in any given year rely on their payout, in some capacity, to cover their expenses.

It's imperative that workers get as much as they can out of America's leading retirement program to shore up their finances during their golden years.

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Source Fool.com