Your full retirement age depends on when you were born, and it has moved later for people born after 1942
The age at which you reach full retirement age — the point where Social Security calculates your benefit at its standard rate — is not the same for everyone. Congress changed the formula in 1983, and the shift began taking effect in 2000. If you were born in 1943 or later, your full retirement age is higher than 65.
The change happened gradually. People born between 1943 and 1954 have a full retirement age of 66. People born between 1955 and 1959 have a full retirement age that increases by two months for each birth year. People born in 1960 or later have a full retirement age of 67. This means the year you were born determines the exact age Social Security uses to calculate your standard benefit amount.
Understanding your full retirement age matters because it affects three separate decisions: when you can claim without a reduction, how much your benefit will be if you claim early, and how much extra you receive if you claim late. The age itself does not change — it is set based on your birth year — but knowing it helps you understand what your benefit will be under different claiming scenarios.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year, with the shift explore to people born in 1943 and later.
- People born between 1943 and 1954 have a full retirement age of 66; those born between 1955 and 1959 have an age that increases by two months per birth year; those born in 1960 or later have a full retirement age of 67.
- Claiming before your full retirement age reduces your monthly benefit permanently, while claiming after it increases your benefit by roughly 8 percent per year until age 70.
- Your full retirement age is separate from the earliest age you can claim (62) and does not affect your may be able to access to work or earn income.
Full Retirement Age by Birth Year
Social Security publishes a table that shows the exact full retirement age for each birth year. The table starts with people born in 1943 (full retirement age 66) and continues through people born in 1960 or later (full retirement age 67). For birth years between 1955 and 1959, the full retirement age increases by two months for each year of birth.
| 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 or later | 67 |
You can find your exact birth date in the Social Security Administration's official full retirement age chart on their website. The chart lists every month and year so you can see precisely what age applies to you. If you were born on January 1 of any year, Social Security counts you as born in the previous year for retirement age purposes.
How Claiming Before Full Retirement Age Reduces Your Benefit
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but if you claim before reaching your full retirement age, your monthly benefit is reduced. The reduction is permanent — it applies to every payment you receive for the rest of your life, not just until you reach full retirement age.
The reduction amount depends on how many months before your full retirement age you claim. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, you are claiming 60 months early. Social Security reduces your benefit by roughly 30 percent. If you claim at 65, you are claiming 24 months early, and the reduction is roughly 13 percent. The exact percentage varies slightly based on your birth year, but the pattern is consistent: the earlier you claim, the larger the reduction.
This reduction is built into the calculation Social Security uses to determine your monthly payment. When you receive your benefit statement, the amount shown for claiming at full retirement age is your primary insurance amount — the standard rate. Any amount shown for claiming earlier is reduced by the formula. You cannot undo this reduction by waiting later; once you claim, the reduced rate is locked in.
How Claiming After Full Retirement Age Increases Your Benefit
If you wait to claim after reaching your full retirement age, your monthly benefit increases. Social Security adds roughly 8 percent per year for each year you delay claiming, up until age 70. This increase is called a delayed retirement credit.
The credits accumulate month by month. If your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 68, you receive one year of credits (roughly 8 percent more). If you wait until 70, you receive three years of credits (roughly 24 percent more). After age 70, the credits stop accumulating, so there is no financial benefit to waiting past 70 to claim.
Unlike the reduction for claiming early, the increase for claiming late is not permanent in the same way — it is straightforward a higher monthly amount. If you die before recouping the difference between claiming at full retirement age and claiming later, your family may receive less in total lifetime benefits. This is one reason some people choose to claim at full retirement age rather than wait.
Full Retirement Age and Your Work Earnings
Your full retirement age also determines how much you can earn from work without affecting your Social Security benefit. If you have not yet reached your full retirement age and you claim Social Security, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above a certain threshold. In the year you reach full retirement age, the threshold is higher, and the reduction applies only to earnings before the month you reach full retirement age.
Once you reach your full retirement age, you can earn any amount without any reduction to your benefit. This rule applies regardless of whether you claimed at 62, at full retirement age, or anywhere in between. The earnings limit is adjusted each year based on wage growth.
This rule affects only Social Security benefits. It does not prevent you from working, and it does not affect other benefits like Medicare or Supplemental Security Income. If you are still working and considering when to claim, understanding this earnings rule helps you plan whether claiming early makes sense for your situation.
Why Congress Changed Full Retirement Age
In 1983, Congress passed amendments to the Social Security Act that gradually increased full retirement age. The change was made because people were living longer than they had in 1935, when Social Security was created. By raising the full retirement age, Congress intended to keep the program's finances stable as the population aged.
The increase was phased in over many years so that people already receiving benefits or close to retirement would not be affected suddenly. People born before 1943 kept the full retirement age of 65. The increase began with people born in 1943 and continued through people born in 1960 and later.
Congress has not changed full retirement age since 1983, though proposals to raise it further have been discussed. For now, the full retirement age remains 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
How Full Retirement Age Differs from Other Ages in Social Security
Full retirement age is one of several ages that matter in Social Security, and they serve different purposes. The earliest age you can claim is 62, regardless of your birth year. This is the same for everyone. Your full retirement age, by contrast, depends on when you were born and determines your standard benefit rate.
Age 70 is significant because delayed retirement credits stop accumulating at that age. There is no age limit on claiming Social Security — you can claim at any point from 62 onward — but waiting past 70 does not increase your benefit further. Medicare may be able to access begins at 65, which is separate from Social Security and does not depend on your full retirement age.
Understanding the difference between these ages prevents confusion when reading Social Security statements or planning your retirement. Your full retirement age is the middle point: earlier than 70 but later than 62, and it is the age where your benefit reaches its standard, unreduced amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find out my exact full retirement age?
Yes. The Social Security Administration publishes a full retirement age chart on their website that lists every birth month and year. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to ask about your specific birth date. Your Social Security statement, which you can view online through your account, also shows your full retirement age.
Does my full retirement age change if I delay claiming?
No. Your full retirement age is fixed based on your birth year and does not change. Delaying your claim does not move your full retirement age later. What changes is your monthly benefit amount — it increases by roughly 8 percent per year if you wait past your full retirement age to claim.
What happens if I claim before my full retirement age and then go back to work?
If you claim before full retirement age and earn above the annual threshold, Social Security reduces your benefit. Once you reach your full retirement age, the earnings limit no longer applies, and you can work without any reduction. The reduction you received in earlier years does not come back, but your benefit will no longer be affected by work income.
Is my full retirement age the same as my Medicare may be able to access age?
No. Medicare may be able to access begins at 65 for most people, regardless of their birth year or full retirement age. You can claim Social Security at 62 even if you are not yet may be able to access for Medicare. Your full retirement age for Social Security purposes is separate from when you become may be able to access for Medicare.
Will Congress raise full retirement age again in the future?
Congress has not raised full retirement age since 1983. Proposals to raise it further have been discussed, but no change has been made. Your full retirement age remains 67 if you were born in 1960 or later, and 66 if you were born between 1943 and 1954.