What Age Should You Start Social Security? Pros and Cons of Claiming at 62, Full Retirement Age, or 70

You can generally begin Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, wait until your full retirement age, or delay as late as age 70. The “best” age is not the same for everyone. It depends on your health, cash flow, work plans, taxes, other retirement income, and—if you are married—how your decision may affect your spouse or survivor.

Three Common Claiming Ages

Option 1: Starting at Age 62

Social Security allows retirement benefits to start as early as age 62. If your full retirement age is 67, claiming at 62 can reduce your retirement benefit by as much as 30%. That adjustment generally remains part of your benefit calculation for life.

Reasons someone may claim early

• They need reliable income to cover living expenses.
• Health problems or family longevity suggest a shorter retirement horizon.
• They have stopped working and would otherwise need to draw heavily from savings.
• Receiving Social Security may allow other assets to remain invested or preserve emergency funds.

Reasons to be cautious

• The lower monthly benefit continues even in a long retirement.
• Claiming early while still working can cause benefits to be temporarily withheld under the retirement earnings test.
• A lower benefit may provide less inflation-adjusted income later in life.
• For married couples, the higher earner’s decision may affect the amount ultimately available to a surviving spouse.

Option 2: Starting at Full Retirement Age

Your full retirement age depends on your birth year. It is 67 for people born in 1960 or later. At full retirement age, you are entitled to 100% of your calculated primary insurance amount.

Advantages of waiting until full retirement age

• You avoid the permanent early-claiming reduction.
• Beginning with the month you reach full retirement age, the retirement earnings test no longer limits benefits because of wages or self-employment income.
• It can be a practical middle ground between immediate income and maximizing the monthly payment.

Possible disadvantages

• You give up the payments you could have received between age 62 and full retirement age.
• You still have not reached the largest monthly benefit available by waiting until age 70.
• You need other income or savings to cover the waiting period.

Option 3: Delaying Until Age 70

After full retirement age, delayed retirement credits increase your retirement benefit for each month you wait, up to age 70. For workers born in 1943 or later, the credit is generally 8% per year. If full retirement age is 67, delaying to 70 can increase the benefit by roughly 24% compared with claiming at 67. There is generally no additional retirement-benefit increase for delaying past age 70.

Advantages of waiting until 70

• You lock in the largest monthly retirement benefit available on your record under current rules.
• The larger base benefit also receives future cost-of-living adjustments.
• Delaying can be especially valuable when longevity runs in the family.
• For the higher earner in a married couple, delaying may strengthen the survivor benefit available after that spouse dies.

Possible disadvantages

• You receive no retirement checks during the delay.
• You may need to spend investments or continue working to fund living expenses.
• If you die earlier than expected, you may not receive enough higher payments to offset the checks you postponed.
• Waiting solely to maximize the monthly amount may not be appropriate if cash flow or health is already strained.

How Working in 2026 Can Affect the Decision

If you claim before full retirement age and continue working, Social Security may withhold part of your benefits when earnings exceed the annual limit. For 2026:

Benefits withheld under the earnings test are not necessarily gone forever. Social Security can recalculate your monthly amount after full retirement age to credit months in which benefits were withheld. Still, the cash-flow effect can be significant and should be planned before filing.

Do Not Confuse Social Security With Medicare Timing

Retirement-benefit timing and Medicare enrollment are separate decisions. Medicare eligibility generally begins at age 65. If you delay Social Security, you may still need to enroll in Medicare at 65 unless you qualify for a special enrollment period through current employer coverage. Missing the correct Medicare enrollment window can create penalties or coverage gaps, so this issue deserves separate attention.

Other Questions That Can Change the Answer

• How is your health? A longer expected lifespan often makes the larger delayed benefit more valuable.
• Do you need the income? Claiming early may be reasonable when it prevents debt or an unsustainable draw from savings.
• Are you still working? Consider the earnings test, payroll taxes, and whether additional high-earning years could improve your benefit record.
• What other income will you have? Pensions, IRA withdrawals, required minimum distributions, wages, and investment income affect the overall plan.
• Will your benefits be taxable? Depending on your other income, up to 85% of Social Security benefits may be included in taxable income.
• Are you married, divorced, or widowed? Spousal and survivor strategies can make a household-level comparison more important than looking at one person’s benefit alone.
• What does your Social Security record show? Review your earnings history and personalized estimates through your my Social Security account.

A Better Way to Decide

Instead of asking only, “Which age gives me the biggest check?” compare several scenarios:

1. Estimate the monthly benefit at 62, full retirement age, and 70.
2. Project income taxes, Medicare premiums, and withdrawals from other accounts.
3. Consider both spouses and the survivor scenario.
4. Stress-test the plan for a long life, a shorter life, and unexpected expenses.
5. Choose the claiming date that supports sustainable cash flow—not merely the largest or earliest check.

Official Social Security Resources

• SSA: At what age should I start receiving retirement benefits?
• SSA: Early or Late Retirement
• SSA: Working, Applying for Benefits, or Both
• SSA: 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fact Sheet

Educational information only. This article is not individualized Social Security, tax, legal, investment, or retirement advice. Social Security and Medicare rules can change, and the right claiming strategy depends on your complete facts and circumstances. Confirm current benefit estimates and eligibility directly with the Social Security Administration.