Your full retirement age in 2026 depends on your 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 increases by two months for each year you were born — so someone born in 1955 has a full retirement age of 66 and 2 months, and someone born in 1959 has a full retirement age of 66 and 10 months. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67.
The full retirement age is the age at which you can receive your complete monthly benefit amount. It is not the earliest age you can start receiving benefits — you can claim as early as 62 — but claiming before your full retirement age means a permanently reduced monthly payment. The year 2026 itself does not change anyone's retirement age; the schedule has been in place since 1983 and continues unchanged.
Your birth year determines your full retirement age, and that age does not change. What changes in 2026 is which birth years reach their full retirement age in that calendar year. Someone born in January 1960 will turn 66 in 2026, but their full retirement age is 67, so they will not reach it until 2027.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year, and this schedule has not changed since 1983.
- You can claim benefits as early as 62, but your monthly payment will be permanently reduced if you claim before your full retirement age.
- Delaying your claim past your full retirement age increases your monthly benefit by about 8 percent per year until age 70.
- The year 2026 does not introduce a new retirement age; it is simply the year when certain birth cohorts reach the full retirement age assigned to them decades ago.
- Your earnings record and the age you choose to claim determine your benefit amount, not the calendar year.
How early claiming reduces your monthly benefit
If you claim at 62 and your full retirement age is 67, your monthly benefit is reduced by roughly 30 percent. If your full retirement age is 66, claiming at 62 reduces your benefit by about 25 percent. The reduction is permanent — you will receive the lower amount for the rest of your life, even after you reach your full retirement age.
The reduction exists because Social Security is designed to pay out roughly the same total amount over your lifetime, whether you claim early or late. If you claim at 62 and live to 80, you will have received more total payments than someone who waited until 70 to claim. The monthly reduction accounts for those extra years of payments.
Early claiming makes sense for some people — those with serious health conditions, those who need the income immediately, or those who do not expect to live into their 80s. For others, waiting pays more over a lifetime. A financial advisor or the Social Security Administration can help you model your specific situation.
How delaying your claim increases your monthly benefit
For every year you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your monthly benefit increases by about 8 percent per year. This increase continues until age 70. If your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 70 to claim, your monthly benefit will be roughly 24 percent higher than if you had claimed at 67.
Delaying is most valuable if you expect to live into your mid-80s or beyond, or if you have a family history of longevity. It also protects your spouse: if you are married, your spouse's survivor benefit is based on your benefit amount, so a higher benefit means more protection for them if you pass away.
You cannot increase your benefit past age 70 by waiting longer. At 70, the increases stop, so there is no financial reason to delay claiming beyond that age.
How your birth year determines your full retirement age
Congress set the full retirement age schedule in the 1983 Social Security amendments. The schedule gradually raised the full retirement age from 65 (for people born before 1938) to 67 (for people born in 1960 or later). This was meant to account for longer life expectancy and to help shore up the program's finances.
The schedule increases in two-month increments for people born between 1943 and 1959. Someone born in 1943 has a full retirement age of 66. Someone born in 1944 has a full retirement age of 66 and 2 months. This pattern continues through 1959, when the full retirement age reaches 66 and 10 months. For anyone born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age is 67.
Your full retirement age is locked in at birth. It does not change based on economic conditions, inflation, or changes to Social Security law. If you were born in 1957, your full retirement age is 66 and 6 months, and it will remain so for your entire life.
What happens if you work while claiming benefits before full retirement age
If you claim benefits before your full retirement age and continue working, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above an annual limit. In 2026, that limit is subject to change, but historically it has been adjusted each year for wage growth. The reduction applies only to the year you claim and the years before you reach your full retirement age.
Once you reach your full retirement age, the earnings limit no longer applies. You can earn any amount without a reduction to your benefit. This is one reason some people wait to claim: if they are still working and earning a substantial income, claiming early would trigger the earnings test and reduce their benefit.
The reduction from the earnings test is not permanent. When you reach your full retirement age, Social Security recalculates your benefit to account for the months you did not receive a full payment, so you recover some of the reduction over time.
How to find your full retirement age and plan your claim
You can find your full retirement age by looking at a chart on the Social Security Administration website or by creating an account on ssa.gov. Your Social Security statement, which you can access online, also shows your full retirement age.
Before you claim, consider running a few scenarios: what if you claim at 62, 67, or 70? How much would you receive each month? How much total would you receive by age 80 or 85? The Social Security Administration's online calculator and the "Retirement Estimator" tool can show you these numbers based on your actual earnings record.
You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to speak with someone who can answer questions about your specific situation. They cannot tell you when to claim — that is a personal decision — but they can explain how your choices affect your benefit amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Social Security change in 2026?
The full retirement age schedule does not change in 2026. The schedule has been the same since 1983. What changes each year is the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which increases benefit amounts for people already receiving Social Security. The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025.
Can I change my mind after I claim?
You can withdraw your claim within 12 months of starting to receive benefits, but you must repay all the benefits you received. After 12 months, you cannot withdraw your claim. Some people use this option if they claimed early and then decide they want to wait. You can also suspend your benefits at your full retirement age to let them grow, though this is less common now.
What if I was born on January 1?
Social Security treats people born on January 1 as if they were born on December 31 of the previous year. So if you were born on January 1, 1960, Social Security considers your birth year to be 1959, which means your full retirement age is 66 and 10 months, not 67.
Does my spouse's full retirement age affect mine?
No. Your full retirement age is based only on your birth year. Your spouse's full retirement age is based on their birth year. You can claim at different ages, and each of you will receive a benefit based on your own earnings record and your own full retirement age.
What if I have not worked enough to receive Social Security?
You need 40 work credits to receive retirement benefits. Most people earn four credits per year, so 40 credits typically takes 10 years of work. If you have not worked enough, you may still be able to receive benefits based on your spouse's earnings record, but the rules are complex. Contact Social Security to review your specific situation.