United States · Social Security · Claiming age
Social Security benefit by claiming age calculator.
Enter your birth year, the benefit you are due at full retirement age and the age you would claim, to see the monthly amount.
Short answer: Claiming before full retirement age cuts a benefit by 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months early and 5/12 of 1% for each month beyond, and claiming after it adds 2/3 of 1% a month (8% a year) up to age 70. For someone born in 1960 or later with a $2,000 benefit at full retirement age of 67, claiming at 62 gives $1,400 and claiming at 70 gives $2,480.
Benefit at your claiming age
Result
Press Calculate to see your result.
How claiming age changes the benefit
The SSA describes a retirement benefit that is reduced a small percentage for each month before full retirement age and increased a certain percentage for each month you delay beyond it, up to age 70. The primary insurance amount, or PIA, is the benefit you would get at full retirement age. This calculator turns your PIA into the benefit at the age you pick.
Reduction for claiming early
The reduction is 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months before full retirement age and 5/12 of 1% for each month beyond that. With a full retirement age of 67 (born 1960 or later), claiming at 62 is 60 months early: 36 × 5/9% = 20% plus 24 × 5/12% = 10%, a 30% cut, which matches the SSA table showing $1,000 reduced to $700. For someone born in 1958, 56 months early gives 28.33%, and the SSA table shows $716.
Increase for delaying
For people born in 1943 or later the increase is 8% a year, 2/3 of 1% a month, and stops at age 70. The SSA adds that if you retire before 70, some delayed retirement credits are not applied until the January after you start receiving benefits.
Benefit by claiming age: full retirement age 67, $2,000 at 67
| Claiming age | Monthly benefit | Compared with full retirement age |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | $1,400 | -30% |
| 62 years 6 months | $1,450 | -27.5% |
| 63 | $1,500 | -25% |
| 63 years 6 months | $1,550 | -22.5% |
| 64 | $1,600 | -20% |
| 64 years 6 months | $1,666 | -16.67% |
| 65 | $1,733 | -13.33% |
| 65 years 6 months | $1,800 | -10% |
| 66 | $1,866 | -6.67% |
| 66 years 6 months | $1,933 | -3.33% |
| 67 | $2,000 | +0% |
| 67 years 6 months | $2,080 | +4% |
| 68 | $2,160 | +8% |
| 68 years 6 months | $2,240 | +12% |
| 69 | $2,320 | +16% |
| 69 years 6 months | $2,400 | +20% |
| 70 | $2,480 | +24% |
Worked example
Born in 1958, full retirement age is 66 and 8 months, 800 months. Claiming at 62 and 0 months is 56 months early, a 28.33% cut, so a $2,000 benefit becomes $1,433. Born in 1965 with $1,500 at 67, claiming at 68 and 6 months is 18 months late, a 12% increase, so the benefit is $1,680. Both are rounded down to a whole dollar, which is how the SSA table rounds.
Common mix-ups
- The reduction is permanent. It does not end at full retirement age.
- Delayed credits stop at 70. Waiting past 70 does not add more.
- This is the benefit before cost-of-living adjustments. The 3.6% COLA for 2027 is applied to benefits that are already payable and is not included here.
- The spouse and survivor rules are different. The spousal benefit is figured on 50% of the worker's PIA with its own reduction.
- Working before full retirement age can withhold benefits. See the earnings limit calculator.
Method
Months early or late are counted from your full retirement age in months (792 for births up to 1954, 804 for 1960 and later, two more months per birth year in between) to your claiming age in months. The result is the PIA times the factor, rounded down to a whole dollar. Claiming ages from 62 years 0 months to 70 years 0 months are accepted.
What this does not cover
- Your PIA, which the SSA calculates from your earnings record; get it from your my Social Security account or statement.
- Birth years before 1943.
- Spousal, survivor and disability benefits.
- Taxes on benefits, Medicare premiums and the earnings limit.
Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.
Sources
- SSA Benefits Planner: Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- SSA Benefits Planner: Delayed Retirement Credits (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- SSA: 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (retrieved November 9, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much is Social Security reduced at 62?
By 25% to 30% depending on birth year. For people born in 1960 or later it is 30%: a $1,000 benefit at full retirement age becomes $700.
How much does a benefit grow by waiting until 70?
By 8% for each year past full retirement age for people born in 1943 or later. From 67 to 70 that is 24%.
Are delayed retirement credits added every month?
They accrue at 2/3 of 1% a month. The SSA says if you retire before 70 some credits are applied the January after you start receiving benefits.
What is the reduction formula?
5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months before full retirement age and 5/12 of 1% for each month after that.
Does this include the 2027 COLA?
No. It shows the benefit as a share of your PIA, before cost-of-living adjustments.
Where do I find my PIA?
On your Social Security statement in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, where SSA estimates your benefit at full retirement age.
Is the result exactly what SSA will pay?
No. It is an estimate; the SSA decides your benefit, and rounding and the exact claiming month can change it.
Not legal or tax advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not legal or tax advice, and it is not an eligibility decision. Programs and thresholds change and the figures here are estimates. Confirm with the agency that runs the program before you apply or file. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.