Full retirement age will be 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later
The age at which you can claim your full Social Security benefit — the amount you earned based on your work record — is rising to 67 in 2026. This change does not happen all at once. It has been increasing gradually since 2003, moving up two months per year for people born between 1943 and 1954, then three months per year for people born between 1955 and 1960. Anyone born in 1960 or later will have a full retirement age of 67.
This means if you were born in 1960, your full retirement age is already 67. If you were born in 1961, it is 67 and 2 months. The year 2026 is straightforward when the final step of this increase takes effect — when the last group (people born in 1960) reaches the age where they can claim their full benefit without any reduction.
You can still claim Social Security before age 67, but your monthly payment will be permanently smaller. You can also wait past 67 and receive a larger payment. The choice is yours, but the full retirement age itself — the reference point for how much you get — will be 67 for everyone born from 1960 onward.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age reaches 67 in 2026 for people born in 1960, completing a gradual increase that started in 2003.
- If you claim before your full retirement age, your monthly benefit is reduced permanently, even if you live to be 100.
- If you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your monthly benefit grows by about 8 percent per year until age 70.
- Your full retirement age depends on your birth year, and you can find yours by checking the Social Security Administration's official chart.
- Claiming early, at full retirement age, or late are all valid choices depending on your health, finances, and life circumstances.
How the full retirement age increase affects your benefit amount
Your full retirement age is the age at which Social Security will pay you 100 percent of your primary insurance amount — the benefit you earned. If you claim before that age, the payment is reduced. If you claim after that age, the payment increases.
The reduction for claiming early is steep and permanent. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, your monthly benefit is roughly 30 percent lower than it would be at 67. That reduction stays in place for the rest of your life, even if you live into your 90s. The Social Security Administration publishes exact reduction percentages based on your birth month and the age you claim.
Because full retirement age is now 67 instead of the 66 it was for people born in the 1940s, the reduction for claiming at 62 is slightly larger than it was for earlier generations. The gap between 62 and your full retirement age is wider, so the penalty is bigger.
Delayed retirement credits if you wait past 67
If you do not claim at your full retirement age, your benefit grows. For each year you delay past your full retirement age, your monthly payment increases by roughly 8 percent per year. This increase stops at age 70, so there is no financial advantage to waiting past 70 to claim.
This means if your full retirement age is 67, waiting until 70 to claim gives you a benefit that is about 24 percent higher than what you would receive at 67. That larger payment continues for the rest of your life and is also paid to your surviving spouse or ex-spouse if you pass away.
Whether waiting makes sense depends on your health, your family history, and whether you need the money now. Someone in excellent health with a long family history of longevity might come out ahead by waiting. Someone with serious health problems might receive more total money by claiming earlier, even though the monthly amount is smaller.
Finding your specific full retirement age
Your full retirement age depends on the month and year you were born. The Social Security Administration publishes a chart that shows the exact full retirement age for every birth date. You can find this chart on the official Social Security website under "Retirement Age" or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
If you were born before 1943, your full retirement age is 65 or 66 depending on your exact birth year. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, your full retirement age is 66. If you were born between 1955 and 1959, your full retirement age is between 66 and 2 months and 66 and 10 months. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67.
Knowing your full retirement age is important because it affects not just your own benefit, but also any benefits your spouse or ex-spouse may receive based on your work record. Family members can sometimes claim at your full retirement age and receive their own full benefit amount, even if you have not yet claimed.
What claiming early means for your lifetime benefits
Claiming at 62 instead of waiting until 67 gives you five extra years of payments, but each payment is smaller. The question many people ask is whether they come out ahead by claiming early or whether they would receive more total money by waiting.
The answer depends on how long you live. If you pass away at 75, you will have received more total money by claiming at 62. If you live to 85 or beyond, you will have received more total money by waiting until 67 or later. Social Security publishes a "break-even age" — the age at which the total amount received is equal — but this is only a rough guide because it does not account for taxes, other income, or your personal circumstances.
One thing to keep in mind: if you claim before your full retirement age and you are still working, Social Security will reduce your benefit if your earnings exceed a certain amount. In 2024, that limit was $23,400 per year, but it changes annually. Once you reach your full retirement age, there is no earnings limit, and your benefit is not reduced no matter how much you earn.
How the 2026 change affects people already receiving benefits
If you are already receiving Social Security benefits in 2026, the change to full retirement age does not affect your payment. Your benefit amount was set when you claimed, and it does not change based on what happens to full retirement age after that point.
The change affects people who have not yet claimed. If you are currently 65 or 66 and planning to claim in the next year or two, your full retirement age may be higher than you thought. This is worth checking now, especially if you are making decisions about when to claim.
If you are younger and not yet thinking about Social Security, the 2026 change is a reminder that full retirement age will be 67 for you. This affects your planning if you are thinking about when you might want to stop working or reduce your work hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still claim Social Security at 62 after 2026?
Yes. The earliest age you can claim Social Security is 62, and that does not change. What changes is your full retirement age — the age at which you receive your full benefit amount. If you claim at 62 and your full retirement age is 67, your benefit will be about 30 percent lower than if you waited until 67.
Does full retirement age affect Medicare?
No. Medicare may be able to access starts at 65 for most people, regardless of your full retirement age. You can claim Social Security at 62 and still wait until 65 to sign up for Medicare, or you can claim Social Security at 67 and sign up for Medicare at 65. The two programs are separate.
What if I was born on January 1, 1960?
If you were born on January 1, 1960, Social Security treats you as if you were born on December 31, 1959, so your full retirement age is 66 and 10 months, not 67. The Social Security Administration's official chart shows the exact full retirement age for each birth date, including those born on the first day of the month.
Will my spouse's benefit change if my full retirement age is 67?
Your spouse may be able to receive a benefit based on your work record. Their full retirement age follows the same schedule as yours, so if you were born in 1960, their full retirement age is also 67. If they claim before 67, their benefit is reduced, just like yours would be.
Is there any way to avoid the reduction for claiming early?
No. If you claim before your full retirement age, your benefit is permanently reduced. There is no way to undo this reduction later. However, if you claim and then change your mind within a certain window, you may be able to withdraw your claim and reapply later — the rules for this are specific and change based on your age, so contact Social Security directly to learn what options you have.