When Should You Start Taking Social Security?

Social Security can be an important part of retirement income, but deciding when to start receiving your benefits isn't always simple.

You can generally begin Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. You can also wait until your full retirement age—or delay benefits beyond that, up to age 70. The age you choose can permanently affect the amount of your monthly retirement benefit.

That's why the question isn't simply, “When can I take Social Security?”

A more useful question may be:

“When does it make sense for me to take Social Security?”

What Is Full Retirement Age?

Your full retirement age, sometimes called FRA, is the age at which you become eligible for your full Social Security retirement benefit based on your earnings record.

Full retirement age depends on the year you were born. For people born in 1960 or later, it is age 67.

You don't have to wait until full retirement age to claim benefits—but claiming earlier generally means accepting a lower monthly benefit.

What Happens If You Start Social Security at 62?

Age 62 is currently the earliest age most people can begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits.

The tradeoff is that starting before full retirement age permanently reduces your monthly benefit. For someone whose full retirement age is 67, claiming at 62 can result in a monthly benefit that is up to 30% lower than the amount available at full retirement age.

Starting earlier isn't automatically the wrong decision. Some people may need the income sooner or have other circumstances that influence their timing.

The important thing is understanding that claiming early generally means receiving a smaller monthly benefit for life.

What Happens If You Wait Until Full Retirement Age?

If you wait until your full retirement age, you're eligible for 100% of the retirement benefit calculated for you at that age.

For someone born in 1960 or later, that means waiting until age 67.

Waiting until full retirement age may also be particularly relevant if you're still working because Social Security's retirement earnings test no longer reduces your benefits based on your earnings beginning with the month you reach full retirement age.

What Happens If You Wait Beyond Full Retirement Age?

Your retirement benefit can continue to increase if you delay claiming beyond full retirement age.

For people born in 1943 or later, delayed retirement credits generally increase retirement benefits by 8% per year for delaying beyond full retirement age, calculated monthly. Those increases stop at age 70.

For example, someone born in 1960 or later has a full retirement age of 67. If that person waits until age 70 to begin retirement benefits, Social Security says the monthly benefit would be 124% of the benefit available at full retirement age.

There is no additional increase for delaying retirement benefits beyond age 70.

What If You're Still Working?

You can work and receive Social Security retirement benefits at the same time, but the rules differ depending on your age.

If you're younger than full retirement age and earn more than Social Security's annual earnings limit, some benefits may temporarily be withheld.

For 2026, if you're under full retirement age for the entire year, the earnings limit is $24,480. Social Security generally withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above that amount.

During the year you reach full retirement age, a higher limit applies to earnings before the month you reach FRA. In 2026, that limit is $65,160, with $1 withheld for every $3 earned above the limit.

Beginning with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no earnings limit.

Benefits withheld because of the earnings test aren't necessarily simply lost. At full retirement age, Social Security recalculates your benefit to account for months in which benefits were withheld because of excess earnings.

Does Working Longer Affect Your Social Security Benefit?

It can.

Social Security generally calculates retirement benefits using your highest 35 years of earnings.

If you have fewer than 35 years of earnings, years without earnings are included as zeros. And if you continue working and a new year of earnings replaces a lower-earning year in your record, your eventual benefit may increase.

This is another reason your retirement date and your Social Security claiming date don't necessarily have to be the same.

You might stop working and delay Social Security—or continue working while receiving benefits—depending on your circumstances.

What About Married Couples?

For married couples, the decision can involve more than simply deciding when each spouse wants to start receiving a check.

Depending on eligibility and individual earnings histories, spousal and survivor benefits may also need to be considered.

That means the timing decision for one spouse can potentially affect the retirement-income picture for both spouses.

Social Security rules for retirement, spousal, and survivor benefits aren't identical, so couples may want to look at their benefits together rather than making two completely separate claiming decisions.

Does Life Expectancy Matter?

It can be one consideration.

Claiming earlier generally means receiving smaller payments for a longer period of time. Waiting generally means giving up payments today in exchange for a larger monthly retirement benefit later.

No one knows exactly how long they will live, which is one reason there isn't a universal claiming age that's right for everyone.

Health, family longevity, other income sources, financial needs, and personal preferences may all factor into the decision.

What Other Retirement Income Do You Have?

Social Security usually shouldn't be considered in isolation.

Your retirement income may also come from sources such as:

• 401(k)s and IRAs
• Pensions
• Personal savings
• Annuities
• Investment accounts
• Part-time employment
• Other income sources

The timing of Social Security can affect how these different pieces work together.

For example, someone with sufficient income from other sources may have more flexibility to delay Social Security. Someone who needs income immediately may have different considerations.

The goal isn't necessarily to maximize one individual source of income. It's to understand how all of your retirement-income sources work together.

Don't Forget About Medicare

Social Security and Medicare are related, but their timing rules aren't the same.

Medicare eligibility generally begins at age 65. Delaying Social Security does not necessarily mean you should delay Medicare.

Social Security specifically advises people who delay retirement benefits to understand their Medicare enrollment requirements because, in some circumstances, delaying Medicare enrollment can result in delayed coverage or higher costs.

How Can You See Your Own Social Security Estimate?

Rather than relying on general examples, you can review estimates based on your own earnings history.

A personal my Social Security account can show estimated retirement benefits at different claiming ages and allows you to see how future earnings assumptions may affect those estimates.

View your Social Security benefit estimate

That can give you a much better starting point for evaluating when you may want to claim.

The Bottom Line

There isn't one Social Security claiming age that's appropriate for everyone.

Starting earlier can provide income sooner but generally results in a smaller monthly retirement benefit. Waiting can increase the monthly amount, with delayed retirement credits ending at age 70.

The decision may depend on your age, employment plans, other retirement income, financial needs, family circumstances, and long-term goals.

At CDA of America, we believe Social Security is best viewed as one piece of the larger retirement-income picture. Understanding how it works alongside your savings and other sources of income can help you make a more informed decision about when retirement income should begin.