Your full retirement age is when Social Security considers you old enough to claim your full benefit amount — not when you have to claim it.
The age varies depending on when you were born. If you were born in 1943 or later, your full retirement age is somewhere between 66 and 67. If you were born in 1960 or later, it is 67. The Social Security Administration publishes a table showing the exact age for your birth year, and you can find it on ssa.gov by searching "full retirement age".
Reaching full retirement age does not mean you must stop working or claim benefits right away. It straightforward means that if you do claim at that age, you will receive the full monthly amount Social Security calculated for you based on your earnings record. If you claim earlier, your monthly payment will be smaller. If you claim later, your monthly payment will be larger.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age depends on your birth year and ranges from 66 to 67 for people born after 1943.
- You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but your monthly benefit will be permanently reduced if you claim before full retirement age.
- Waiting to claim after full retirement age increases your monthly benefit by roughly 8 percent per year until age 70.
- Your full retirement age affects how much you lose by claiming early or gain by claiming late, but it does not determine when you must claim.
How Your Birth Year Determines Full Retirement Age
Social Security raised the full retirement age gradually starting in 2000 because people are living longer. The table below shows the pattern:
| Born in this year | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1943–1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 |
If you were born on January 1 of any year, Social Security counts you as born in the previous year for these purposes. You can confirm your exact full retirement age by creating an account on ssa.gov, signing in, and viewing your Social Security Statement, which lists it clearly.
What Happens If You Claim Before Full Retirement Age
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but claiming before full retirement age means a permanent reduction in your monthly benefit. The reduction is roughly 6 to 7 percent for each year you claim early. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, you would receive about 30 percent less per month for the rest of your life.
This reduction applies even if you go back to work and earn a high income. Social Security also has an earnings test: if you claim before full retirement age and earn above a certain amount (which changes yearly), Social Security withholds $1 from your benefit for every $2 you earn above the limit. Once you reach full retirement age, the earnings test no longer applies, and you keep your full benefit no matter how much you work.
What Happens If You Claim After Full Retirement Age
Waiting past full retirement age to claim increases your monthly benefit. For each year you delay claiming between full retirement age and age 70, your benefit grows by roughly 8 percent per year. If your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 70, your monthly benefit would be about 24 percent higher than it would have been at 67.
After age 70, your benefit stops growing, so there is no financial advantage to waiting longer. This means age 70 is often considered the latest age worth waiting to claim, though some people claim earlier for other reasons — such as health concerns or needing the income sooner.
Full Retirement Age and Spousal or Survivor Benefits
Your full retirement age also affects benefits for your spouse and children. A spouse can claim a benefit based on your record starting at age 62, but the amount depends partly on your full retirement age. A surviving spouse or child can claim survivor benefits at any age, but the total amount the family receives is limited to a percentage of what you would have received at full retirement age.
If you die before claiming, your family members may still be may have access to to survivor benefits. The amount they receive is based on your full retirement age and your earnings record, not on when you would have claimed. This is one reason to understand your full retirement age even if you plan to claim early.
How to Find Your Exact Full Retirement Age
The easiest way is to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Once you sign in, your Statement shows your full retirement age clearly. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and speak with a representative, though wait times are often long.
If you do not have a Social Security account yet, you will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and an email address to create one. The process takes about 10 minutes. Having an account also lets you see your earnings record, which Social Security uses to calculate your benefit amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my mind after I claim Social Security?
Yes, but only within limits. If you claimed within the past 12 months, you can withdraw your claim and reapply later at a higher age. You must repay all benefits you received. After 12 months, you cannot withdraw, but you can suspend your benefits at full retirement age and let them grow until age 70 — though this is rarely done anymore.
Does working longer delay my full retirement age?
No. Your full retirement age is fixed based on your birth year and does not change. Working longer may increase your benefit amount because Social Security recalculates your benefit using your most recent earnings, but it does not change the age at which you reach full retirement age.
What if I was born outside the United States?
Your full retirement age is determined the same way — by your birth year. You must have enough work credits (roughly 10 years of work paying Social Security taxes) to claim benefits. Citizenship or immigration status does not affect your full retirement age, though it may affect your ability to claim.
Does my full retirement age change if I delay claiming?
No. Your full retirement age stays the same no matter when you claim. Delaying past full retirement age increases your monthly payment, but your full retirement age itself does not shift. It is a fixed milestone based on when you were born.