Benefits Planner: Retirement | You Can Receive Benefits Before Your Full Retirement Age (2024)

You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but the benefit amount will be lower than your full retirement benefit amount.

If you start receiving your benefits before your full retirement age, we will reduce your benefits based on the number of months you receive benefits before you reach your full retirement age.

If you wait until age 70 to start your benefits, your benefit amount will be higher because you will receive delayed retirement credits for each month you delay filing for benefits. There is no additional benefit increase after you reach age 70, even if you continue to delay starting benefits.

Working While Receiving Benefits

You may work after you start receiving benefits, which could mean a higher benefit for you in the future. We may withhold some of your benefits if you earn more than the yearly earnings limit. Sometimes people who retire in mid-year already have earned more than the annual earnings limit. However:

  • We have a special rule that applies to earnings for one year, usually the first year you begin receiving benefits. This means we cannot withhold benefits for any month we consider you retired, regardless of your yearly earnings.
  • After you reach full retirement age, we will recalculate your benefit amount to take into account any months you did not receive benefits because your earnings were too high.

Social Security benefits are paid the month after they are due.

If you tell us you want your benefits to start in May, you will receive your first benefit check in June. (If you want to receive your first benefit check in May, you need to be eligible for benefits in April AND tell us you want your benefits to start that month.)

Do you plan to keep working beyond full retirement age?

Benefits Planner: Retirement | You Can Receive Benefits Before Your Full Retirement Age (2024)

FAQs

Benefits Planner: Retirement | You Can Receive Benefits Before Your Full Retirement Age? ›

You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age

age
Most countries set the age of majority at 18, but some jurisdictions have a higher age and others lower. The word majority here refers to having greater years and being of full age as opposed to minority, the state of being a minor.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Age_of_majority
62. However, you are entitled to full benefits when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.

Can you get full retirement benefits if you retire early? ›

A worker can choose to retire as early as age 62, but doing so may result in a reduction of as much as 30 percent. Starting to receive benefits after normal retirement age may result in larger benefits. With delayed retirement credits, a person can receive his or her largest benefit by retiring at age 70.

What is the earliest age you can retire and receive benefits? ›

You can receive Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, we'll reduce your benefit if you start receiving benefits before your full retirement age. For example, if you turn age 62 in 2024, your benefit would be about 30% lower than it would be at your full retirement age of 67.

What happens if you retire before retirement age? ›

Potential challenges. Risk of outliving income: Retiring before 65 may require careful financial planning to ensure sufficient savings for an extended retirement period. Reduced social security benefits: If you retire early and take your Social Security benefits straight away, you'll receive a lower amount in benefits.

At what age do you get 100% of your Social Security benefits? ›

How Delayed Retirement Affects Your Social Security Benefits
If you start getting benefits at age *Multiply your Full Retirement Benefit by
66100%
66 + 1 month100.7%
66 + 2 months101.3%
66 + 3 months102.0%
46 more rows

How much money will I lose if I retire at 62 instead of 65? ›

The earliest you can start taking Social Security retirement benefits is 62. However, the Social Security Administration reduces benefits by 30% for people who retire at 62, meaning they receive just 70% of their full retirement benefit each month for life. SSA.gov.

Do you get money if you retire early? ›

Defined benefit pension schemes

With these schemes the pension you get when you retire is usually based on a fraction of your salary. This fraction is then multiplied by the number of years you were a member of the scheme. So if you're considering early retirement you'll probably receive a smaller pension.

At what age is Social Security no longer taxed? ›

Social Security tax FAQs

Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.

How do I get the $16728 Social Security bonus? ›

Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.

What is the highest Social Security check at age 62? ›

The maximum Social Security benefit at full retirement age is $3,822 per month in 2024. It's $4,873 per month in 2024 if retiring at age 70 and $2,710 if retiring at age 62. A person's Social Security benefit amount depends on earnings, full retirement age and when they take benefits.

What are 2 disadvantages to retiring before your full retirement age? ›

Cons of retiring early include a strain on savings, and a depressing effect on mental health. There may be ways to chart a middle course: cutting back on work without fully retiring.

What is the lowest amount you can get in Social Security? ›

Social Security's special minimum benefit pays at least $49.40 per month in 2023 and $50.90 in 2024. Social Security's special minimum benefit tops out at $1,033.50 per month in 2023 and $1,066.50 in 2024. You'll receive 100% of the benefit if you file at full retirement age or later.

What happens if you do not wait until full retirement age? ›

If you decide to continue working and not start your benefits until after full retirement age, your benefits will increase for each month you do not receive them until you reach age 70. There is no incentive to delay filing for your benefits after age 70.

When a husband dies, does his wife get his Social Security? ›

Views: A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, unmarried child, or dependent parent may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. In addition, a one-time lump sum death payment of $255 can be made to a qualifying spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.

Is it better to collect Social Security at 62 or 67? ›

If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase. If you start receiving benefits early, your benefits are reduced a small percent for each month before your full retirement age.

What is the average Social Security check at age 67? ›

According to the SSA's Office of the Actuary, retired-worker beneficiaries who were 62 years old in December 2023 received an average check of $1,298.26. As for 67-year-old retired-worker beneficiaries, the average payout was a more robust $1,883.50.

Will I receive full benefits at 67 if I retire at 62? ›

If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67 (En español) You can start your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but the benefit amount you receive will be less than your full retirement benefit amount.

Can I retire at 65 and get my full benefits? ›

Early retirement benefits will continue to be available at age 62, but they will be reduced more. When the full-benefit age reaches 67, benefits taken at age 62 will be reduced to 70 percent of the full benefit and benefits first taken at age 65 will be reduced to 86.7 percent of the full benefit.

How do I qualify for full retirement benefits? ›

You're eligible if:
  1. You're 62 or older.
  2. You've worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more.

How much money can I earn if I retire early? ›

If you're younger than full retirement age during the whole year. Earnings cap: The limit is $22,320 in 2024. What gets held back: 50% of anything you earn over the cap. Social Security Administration.

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