You can start collecting Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but your “full” benefit comes later (around age 67 for most people), and your check is largest if you wait until age 70.

Basic ages to know

  • Earliest age : 62 is the minimum age to claim Social Security retirement, as long as you have enough work credits from jobs that paid Social Security tax.
  • Full Retirement Age (FRA) : For people born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67; for those born earlier, it ranges from 65 to 66 and some months.
  • Maximum benefit age : Waiting past FRA increases your monthly benefit up to age 70; there is no extra increase after 70.

How claiming age affects your check

  • If you claim at 62, your monthly benefit is permanently reduced compared with what you’d get at your FRA.
  • Claiming at FRA (around 67 for most people today) gives you 100% of your calculated benefit.
  • Waiting beyond FRA up to 70 earns delayed retirement credits, so your monthly check can be significantly higher for the rest of your life.

Mini FAQ style “Quick Scoop”

  • Question: At what age can you collect Social Security at all?
    Answer: As soon as you turn 62, if you’ve worked enough years in Social Security–covered jobs.
  • Question: At what age do you get your full benefit?
    Answer: For most workers now (born 1960+), that is age 67; earlier birth years have FRA between 65 and 66-and-10-months.
  • Question: Is there any reason to wait past that?
    Answer: Yes; each month you delay after FRA up to 70 increases your monthly benefit, which can help if you expect a long retirement.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.