Your full retirement age is when Social Security considers you old enough to receive your complete benefit amount
Your full retirement age (sometimes called your normal retirement age) is the age at which Social Security will pay you 100 percent of the benefit you have earned. This age is not 65 for most people today — it depends on the year you were born. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, it is 66. If you were born between 1955 and 1959, it falls somewhere between 66 and 67.
The reason your full retirement age matters is that it determines how much you receive if you claim before that age or after it. Claim at 62, and your monthly payment will be smaller for the rest of your life. Claim at 70, and your monthly payment will be larger. Your full retirement age is the middle point — the age where the math is neutral.
You can find your exact full retirement age on your Social Security statement, which you can view online at ssa.gov by creating a my Social Security account. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year, and Social Security will pay you your complete benefit amount at that age.
- If you claim before your full retirement age, your monthly payment will be permanently reduced — the earlier you claim, the smaller the reduction.
- If you claim after your full retirement age, your monthly payment will be permanently increased by about 8 percent for each year you wait, up to age 70.
- Your full retirement age is listed on your Social Security statement, which you can view free at ssa.gov or request by phone.
- Earning income after you claim before your full retirement age may reduce your benefits temporarily, but this does not happen once you reach your full retirement age.
How your birth year determines your full retirement age
Social Security gradually raised the full retirement age starting in 2000. The change was phased in over many years so that people born in different years have different full retirement ages. If you were born before 1943, your full retirement age is 65. The table below shows the full retirement age for each birth year from 1943 onward.
| Birth 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 your birth year falls between 1955 and 1959, your full retirement age includes months as well as years. For example, if you were born in 1957, your full retirement age is 66 and 6 months. Social Security counts this as 66.5 years old.
What happens if you claim before your full retirement age
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but your monthly payment will be permanently lower than it would be at your full retirement age. The reduction is about 6.7 percent for each year you claim early. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, you are claiming five years early, so your benefit is reduced by roughly one-third for life.
This reduction never goes away. Even after you reach your full retirement age, you will still receive the smaller amount you locked in when you claimed at 62. The only exception is if you change your mind within the first 12 months of claiming and repay all the benefits you received — a process called withdrawing your claim. After 12 months, you cannot undo an early claim.
There is one other consequence of claiming before your full retirement age: if you earn income from work, Social Security will temporarily reduce your benefits. For every $2 you earn above a yearly limit (the limit changes each year), Social Security withholds $1 from your benefit. This withholding stops once you reach your full retirement age, even if you continue working.
What happens if you claim after your full retirement age
If you wait to claim Social Security after your full retirement age, your monthly payment increases. Social Security adds about 8 percent to your benefit for each year you delay, up until age 70. After age 70, the payment stops increasing, so there is no financial reason to wait past 70 to claim.
For example, if your full retirement age is 67 and your benefit at that age would be $2,000 per month, waiting until 70 would increase it to about $2,480 per month. That larger payment continues for the rest of your life and is also paid to your surviving spouse or family members if you pass away.
Waiting to claim is a trade-off: you receive fewer total payments over your lifetime, but each payment is larger. Whether it makes sense to wait depends on your health, family history, and how much you need the money now. There is no single right answer for everyone.
How your full retirement age affects other family members
If you are married, your spouse may be able to receive benefits based on your work record. Your spouse's full retirement age is calculated the same way as yours — based on their birth year, not yours. However, the amount your spouse receives is based partly on your benefit amount and your full retirement age.
If you have children under 19 (or 19 if still in high school), they may also receive benefits based on your work record. These child benefits are not affected by your full retirement age directly, but they are affected by how much you claim. If you claim early, the total family benefit is smaller. If you wait to claim, the total family benefit is larger.
Your full retirement age also matters if you are divorced. You may be able to claim benefits based on an ex-spouse's work record if you were married for at least 10 years. Your full retirement age determines how much that benefit is reduced if you claim before that age.
How to find your exact full retirement age
The easiest way to find your full retirement age is to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Once you log in, your full retirement age is listed on your Social Security Statement under "Retirement Benefits." You do not need to be close to retirement age to create an account — you can do it at any time.
If you do not want to create an online account, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. A representative can tell you your full retirement age over the phone. You can also visit your local Social Security office in person, though calling or using the website is usually faster.
If you have a paper Social Security statement that was mailed to you (Social Security stopped mailing these automatically in 2011), your full retirement age is printed on it. However, if your statement is more than a few years old, the information may have changed if there were updates to Social Security law.
Full retirement age and Medicare may be able to access
Your full retirement age for Social Security is different from the age you become may be able to access for Medicare. You become may be able to access for Medicare at 65, regardless of your Social Security full retirement age. You can claim Social Security at 62 and still wait until 65 to sign up for Medicare, or you can wait to claim Social Security at 67 and sign up for Medicare at 65.
It is important to sign up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period, which begins three months before the month you turn 65. If you do not sign up when you are first may be able to access, you may face a permanent penalty on your premiums. This is true even if you have not yet claimed Social Security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim Social Security before my full retirement age?
Yes, you can claim as early as age 62. However, your monthly payment will be permanently reduced — roughly 6.7 percent for each year you claim early. If you earn income from work before reaching your full retirement age, Social Security will also temporarily reduce your benefits.
What is the difference between full retirement age and early retirement age?
Early retirement age is 62, the earliest age you can claim Social Security. Full retirement age is when you receive 100 percent of your benefit amount. The difference between them depends on your birth year but ranges from 4 to 5 years for most people today.
Does my full retirement age affect when I can claim disability benefits?
No. If you are approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you receive your full benefit amount regardless of your age. Your full retirement age only affects retirement benefits. Once you reach your full retirement age while on disability, your benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the amount stays the same.
If I claim at my full retirement age, will my benefits ever increase?
No. Once you claim, your benefit amount is locked in based on the age you claimed. The only way to increase it is to withdraw your claim within 12 months and repay what you received. If you had waited past your full retirement age to claim, your benefit would have been higher from the start.
What happens to my benefits if I work after reaching my full retirement age?
Once you reach your full retirement age, you can earn as much income as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefits. There is no earnings limit or withholding. This is true whether you claim Social Security before, at, or after your full retirement age — the earnings rule only applies before you reach your full retirement age.