Your Full Retirement Age Depends on the Year You Were Born
Full retirement age is the age at which Social Security pays you 100 percent of your monthly benefit amount. It is not 65 — that was true decades ago, but the law changed in 1983. For most people retiring now, full retirement age is between 66 and 67, and it depends entirely on your birth year.
The Social Security Administration sets a different full retirement age for each birth cohort. If you were born in 1943 or earlier, your full retirement age is 65. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, it increases by two months for each year you were born. If you were born in 1955 or later, your full retirement age is 67. Anyone born between 1943 and 1960 falls somewhere in between.
Knowing your full retirement age matters because it determines three things: when you receive your full benefit, how much you lose if you claim early, and how much you gain if you claim late. You can claim as early as 62, but you will receive less each month for the rest of your life. You can also wait past your full retirement age and receive more each month.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age ranges from 65 to 67 depending on your birth year, and the Social Security Administration has a specific age for each year of birth.
- Claiming before your full retirement age reduces your monthly benefit permanently, while claiming after increases it by about 8 percent per year.
- You can find your exact full retirement age on your Social Security statement or by using the Social Security Administration's online calculator.
- If you continue working after you start claiming benefits before full retirement age, Social Security may reduce your payments temporarily.
- Your full retirement age is different from your Medicare may be able to access age, which is 65 for most people regardless of birth year.
Full Retirement Age by Birth Year
The table below shows the exact full retirement age for each birth year. Find your year of birth in the left column to see when you reach full retirement age.
| Year of Birth | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1943 or earlier | 65 |
| 1943–1954 | 66 to 67 (increases by 2 months per year) |
| 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 or later | 67 |
If you were born on January 1 of any year, Social Security counts you as born in the previous year for benefit purposes. This is a technical rule that affects a small number of people, but it is worth checking if your birthday falls on that date.
What Happens If You Claim Before Full Retirement Age
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but your monthly benefit will be permanently reduced. The reduction is roughly 6 to 7 percent for each year you claim before full retirement age. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, you lose about 30 percent of your monthly benefit for life.
The reduction is permanent — it does not increase later when you reach full retirement age. If you claim at 62 and receive $1,000 per month, you will still receive $1,000 per month (adjusted for cost-of-living increases) at 67, 75, and beyond. The only way to undo an early claim is to withdraw your process within 12 months and repay all benefits you received, which most people cannot do.
There is also an earnings test if you claim before full retirement age and continue working. For 2024, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above $23,400 per year. Once you reach full retirement age, the earnings test no longer applies, no matter how much you work.
What Happens If You Claim After Full Retirement Age
You do not have to claim at full retirement age. If you wait, your benefit increases by about 8 percent per year until age 70. Someone with a full retirement age of 67 who waits until 70 receives roughly 24 percent more per month than they would at 67.
This increase is called delayed retirement credits, and it is one of the few ways to permanently raise your Social Security income. Unlike the reduction for claiming early, the increase for claiming late continues for the rest of your life. If you live into your 80s or beyond, waiting to claim often results in a larger total payout over your lifetime.
You cannot earn delayed retirement credits after age 70, so there is no financial benefit to waiting past that age. At 70, your benefit reaches its maximum, and claiming after that point means you have straightforward foregone months of payments.
How to Find Your Exact Full Retirement Age
The Social Security Administration publishes your full retirement age on your Social Security statement, which you can view online at ssa.gov by creating a my Social Security account. The statement also shows your estimated benefit at full retirement age, at 62, and at 70.
If you do not have an online account, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask an agent for your full retirement age. You can also visit your local Social Security office in person. Have your Social Security number ready when you call or visit.
The Social Security Administration also offers a Retirement Estimator tool on its website. You enter your birth date and current earnings record, and the tool calculates your estimated benefit at different ages. This tool does not require you to create an account and gives you a quick estimate without speaking to anyone.
Full Retirement Age vs. Medicare may be able to access Age
Do not confuse full retirement age with Medicare may be able to access age. Medicare may be able to access begins at 65 for most people, regardless of when you were born or when you claim Social Security. You can claim Social Security at 62 and still wait until 65 to sign up for Medicare, or you can reach full retirement age at 67 and sign up for Medicare at 65.
If you do not sign up for Medicare when you first become may be able to access at 65, you may pay a permanent penalty on your premiums later. The penalty is 10 percent per year you delay, so waiting three years adds 30 percent to your Part B premium for life. This is separate from Social Security and applies even if you have not yet claimed benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my mind after I claim Social Security?
Yes, but only within 12 months of claiming. You can withdraw your claim, repay all benefits you received, and restart your claim later at a higher amount. After 12 months, you cannot withdraw. You can, however, suspend your benefits at full retirement age and restart them later at a higher rate, though this is rarely done anymore.
What if I was born on December 31?
Social Security counts you as born on January 1 of the following year for benefit purposes. This means your full retirement age may be one year later than you expect. Check your Social Security statement or call the agency to confirm your official birth date for benefits.
Does my full retirement age change if I work longer?
No. Your full retirement age is fixed based on your birth year and does not change no matter how long you work. However, working longer may increase your benefit amount because Social Security recalculates your benefit based on your 35 highest-earning years.
What if I am divorced — does my ex's full retirement age matter?
No. Your full retirement age is based only on your birth year. However, you may be able to claim a benefit based on your ex's earnings record, and that benefit has its own rules about reductions and increases based on when you claim.
Will my full retirement age increase in the future?
The law that set full retirement ages was passed in 1983 and does not automatically increase it further. Congress would have to pass new legislation to change full retirement age for people not yet born. For people already born, full retirement age is set and will not change.