An encore career combining social impact and continued income can help you get the highest possible Social Security payouts when you do eventually retire.

The New York Times and U.S. News & World Report both recommend waiting as long as possible (up to age 70) to begin claiming your benefits, if you can do so without draining your retirement savings. So an encore career the provides enough compensation to at least match what you could receive in Social Security benefits (and enables you to avoid drawing down retirement assets) can help you boost your monthly income -- for the rest of your life.

The articles recommend these strategies:

Delay claiming. You can begin claiming Social Security at age 62, but your checks will be reduced by 25 to 35 percent. Boomers born between 1943 and 1954 should wait until age 66 to receive the maximum payout. The full retirement age gradually rises for those born later, with benefit checks increasing 7 to 8 percent for each year you delay claiming up to age 70.

"If you can wait, think of the money you aren't receiving during that period as a payment of sorts for an annuity that will pay a higher, guaranteed stream of income later, if you live a long time (or at least longer than your savings last)," writes Tara Siegel Bernard in The New York Times. Of course, delaying benefits may not make sense for someone in poor health.

Work longer. Because Social Security payouts are based on your 35 highest-earning years in the workforce, it’s smart to keep working longer. If you continue to work after you sign up for Social Security, your checks will be reduced temporarily, but they will increase later.

Invest your Social Security income. If you begin receiving Social Security checks at age 62, you can still get the higher payout at age 70, but you will have to pay back the funds you’ve received without interest. If you invest the money, you can pay that amount back and keep the interest. But this strategy only works if you live to age 81, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Consider your marriage status. In most cases, couples receive higher Social Security checks when the lower earner signs up at age 62 and the higher earner waits as long as possible to make a claim (until age 70, if possible). When the higher earner reaches full retirement age, the lower earner may qualify for a bigger check by filing for benefits and immediately suspending them - a legal maneuver that lets the lower earner receive up to half the higher earner's benefits while the higher earner continues to accrue benefits.

Couples who earn similar salaries may want to consider having one person claim spousal benefits at full retirement age, then switch to his or her own benefits later, which are likely to be higher.

The choices are simpler for single individuals, who only have one income to consider. For married and single people, the goal is to determine how long you can support yourself and whether living off your savings before claiming Social Security makes sense because of higher Social Security payments you'll receive later.

To learn details about these strategies read “Six Ways to Maximize Your Society Security Payout” by Emily Brandon in U.S. News and World Report and "Collect Now, or Later? Timing Your Social Security Check" by Tara Siegel Bernard in The New York Times.

To get a better idea of what would work best for you, try the government's Social Security Benefit Calculators or visit AnalyzeNow.com for a variety of articles and calculators. Or you may wish to consult a financial planner.