How Your Birth Year Determines Your Full Retirement Age
Your full retirement age — the age at which Social Security pays you your complete benefit amount — depends on the year you were born. This is not a choice or a preference; it is a fixed rule set by federal law. If you were born in 1943 or later, your full retirement age is higher than 65, and it increases by a few months for each birth year until it caps at 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
The reason for this change is straightforward: when Social Security began, life expectancy was much shorter. As people began living longer, Congress raised the full retirement age to keep the program sustainable. You can still claim before your full retirement age, but your monthly payment will be permanently reduced. You can also wait past your full retirement age and receive a larger payment.
Understanding your full retirement age matters because it affects three separate decisions: when you can claim without a reduction, how much you lose if you claim early, and how much you gain if you delay. The chart below shows the exact age for each birth year.
Key Takeaways
- Your full retirement age ranges from 65 to 67 depending on your birth year, with the age increasing by two to three months for each year born between 1943 and 1960.
- You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but your monthly payment will be reduced by roughly 25 to 30 percent if you claim before your full retirement age.
- If you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your monthly payment increases by about 8 percent per year until age 70, when the increase stops.
- Your birth year alone determines your full retirement age; your earnings history and work status do not change it.
- The full retirement age chart applies to retirement benefits; survivor and disability benefits have different rules.
Full Retirement Age by Birth Year
| 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 you were born on January 1 of any year, you are treated as if you were born in the previous year for Social Security purposes. For example, if your birthday is January 1, 1955, your full retirement age is 66, not 66 and 2 months.
You can find your full retirement age listed in your Social Security account on ssa.gov, or you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm it. Having this number in front of you before you make any claiming decision is important.
What Happens If You Claim Before Your Full Retirement Age
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, regardless of your birth year. However, claiming before your full retirement age means a permanent reduction to your monthly payment. The reduction is roughly 25 to 30 percent if you claim at 62, depending on your exact birth year and full retirement age.
The reduction applies for the rest of your life. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, you will receive a smaller check every month for as long as you receive benefits. This is true even if you live to 95 or beyond. The trade-off is that you start receiving payments five years earlier, so some people break even financially around age 80, while others come out ahead or behind depending on how long they live.
There is no penalty for working while you claim early Social Security, but there is an earnings limit. If you earn more than a certain amount before reaching your full retirement age, Social Security will withhold $1 from your benefit for every $2 you earn above the limit. The limit changes each year. Once you reach your full retirement age, you can earn any amount without a reduction.
How Delaying Past Your Full Retirement Age Increases Your Payment
If you wait to claim Social Security past your full retirement age, your monthly payment grows by roughly 8 percent per year. This increase continues until age 70, at which point it stops. If your full retirement age is 67, waiting from 67 to 70 means your payment at 70 will be about 24 percent larger than it would have been at 67.
Delaying makes the most sense if you are in good health, have a family history of longevity, or do not need the money right away. The larger payment also benefits your spouse and surviving family members if they receive benefits based on your record. However, if you have health concerns or need income now, claiming at your full retirement age or earlier may be the right choice for your situation.
You cannot delay past age 70. At that point, the increase stops, and there is no financial reason to wait any longer. If you have not claimed by 70, you should do so to start receiving your benefit.
How Your Birth Year Affects Spousal and Survivor Benefits
Your full retirement age also determines when your spouse can claim a full spousal benefit and when your children or surviving spouse can receive the maximum survivor benefit. A spouse can claim a reduced benefit as early as 62, but the full spousal benefit is only available at the spouse's own full retirement age, which is also based on their birth year.
If you pass away, your full retirement age affects how much your surviving spouse and children receive. A surviving spouse can claim a reduced benefit at 60, but the full survivor benefit is available only at the survivor's full retirement age. Children under 19 (or 19 if still in high school) can receive benefits at any age, but the amount depends on your primary insurance amount, which is calculated based on your earnings record and the age at which you claimed.
Why Your Birth Year Matters More Than You Might Think
Your birth year is one of the few things about Social Security you cannot change. You cannot negotiate a different full retirement age, and you cannot choose to have a different one than someone born in a different year. This makes it important to know your exact full retirement age so you can plan when to claim.
Your birth year also affects how much you lose by claiming early and how much you gain by delaying. Someone born in 1943 has a full retirement age of 66, while someone born in 1960 has a full retirement age of 67. This one-year difference means the person born in 1960 loses more by claiming at 62 and gains more by waiting until 70. The difference compounds over decades of receiving benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I was born on the first day of the month?
If you were born on January 1 of any year, Social Security treats you as if you were born on December 31 of the previous year. This means your full retirement age is based on the earlier birth year. For example, if you were born January 1, 1956, your full retirement age is 66 and 4 months, not 66 and 6 months.
Can I change my full retirement age?
No. Your full retirement age is determined by your birth year and cannot be changed. It is set by federal law and applies to everyone born in your year. You can choose when to claim, but your full retirement age itself is fixed.
Does my full retirement age change if I work longer?
No. Working longer does not change your full retirement age. It may increase your monthly benefit amount because your earnings record is updated, but your full retirement age stays the same. Your full retirement age is based only on your birth year.
What is the difference between full retirement age and when I can claim?
You can claim as early as 62, regardless of your full retirement age. Your full retirement age is straightforward the age at which you receive your complete benefit amount without any reduction. Claiming before that age reduces your payment; claiming after increases it.
If I was born in 1960, why is my full retirement age 67 and not 65?
Congress raised the full retirement age starting with people born in 1943 because people are living longer than they did when Social Security began. The increase was gradual — two to three months per birth year — to give people time to adjust their retirement plans. For anyone born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age is 67.