Your full retirement age depends on when you were born
If you were born in 1959, your full retirement age is 66 and 8 months. This is the age at which Social Security calculates your benefit as 100 percent of what you earned. It is not the earliest age you can claim — you can claim at 62 — but claiming before full retirement age means a permanently lower monthly payment.
The Social Security Administration set different full retirement ages for different birth years as part of a 1983 law change. People born in 1959 fall in the middle of a gradual shift. Those born earlier have a lower full retirement age; those born later have a higher one. The chart below shows how this works for your birth year and the years around it.
Key Takeaways
- If you were born in 1959, you reach full retirement age at 66 years and 8 months, and your full benefit is calculated at that age.
- You can claim as early as 62, but your monthly payment will be about 70 percent of your full benefit if you do.
- If you delay claiming until 70, your monthly payment increases to about 124 percent of your full benefit.
- The full retirement age for people born after 1959 continues to rise, reaching 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
Full retirement age by birth year, 1954 to 1960
| Birth Year | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 66 years, 0 months |
| 1955 | 66 years, 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 years, 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 years, 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 years, 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 years, 8 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 years, 0 months |
What happens if you claim before full retirement age
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but the Social Security Administration reduces your monthly payment for each month you claim before reaching full retirement age. For someone born in 1959, claiming at 62 means your monthly benefit is reduced to about 70 percent of what you would receive at full retirement age.
This reduction is permanent. Even after you reach full retirement age, your monthly payment stays at the reduced amount. The reduction exists because Social Security expects to pay you benefits over a longer period of time if you start at 62 rather than at 66 and 8 months.
What happens if you delay past full retirement age
If you wait to claim after reaching full retirement age, your monthly benefit increases by about 8 percent for each year you delay, up until age 70. Someone born in 1959 who waits until 70 to claim receives about 124 percent of their full retirement age benefit each month.
After age 70, your benefit no longer increases, so there is no financial reason to delay claiming beyond that point. The trade-off between claiming early and claiming late depends on your health, family history, and how long you expect to live — factors only you can weigh.
How Social Security calculates your benefit amount
Social Security bases your benefit on your highest 35 years of earnings. The agency adjusts older earnings for inflation using a formula, then calculates an average monthly earnings figure. Your full retirement age benefit is roughly 40 percent of that average, though the exact percentage depends on when you were born and other factors in the formula.
You can see your own earnings record and an estimate of your benefit by creating an account on ssa.gov. The Social Security Administration sends out statements showing your estimated benefit at full retirement age, at 62, and at 70. These estimates assume you continue working until you claim.
Why the full retirement age changed
Congress raised the full retirement age in 1983 because people were living longer and the Social Security trust fund faced a shortfall. Rather than raise it all at once, lawmakers phased in the increase over many years. For people born between 1943 and 1954, full retirement age stayed at 66. For those born between 1955 and 1959, it rose in two-month increments. For anyone born in 1960 or later, it is 67.
This gradual approach meant that different generations had different full retirement ages, but no single group faced a sudden, large change. If you were born in 1959, you are in the last group to have a full retirement age below 67.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim Social Security at 62 if I was born in 1959?
Yes. You can claim as early as 62, but your monthly payment will be about 30 percent lower than it would be at your full retirement age of 66 and 8 months. This reduction is permanent.
Does my full retirement age affect when I have to start taking benefits?
No. You can delay claiming past your full retirement age and receive a higher monthly payment. You are not required to claim at any particular age, though your benefit stops increasing after age 70.
What if I was born on January 1, 1960 instead of 1959?
Your full retirement age would be 67 instead of 66 and 8 months. The Social Security Administration uses your birth date to determine your full retirement age, so even a one-day difference matters.
Does working after I claim affect my benefit?
If you claim before full retirement age and continue working, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above an annual limit. Once you reach full retirement age, there is no earnings limit and no reduction.
Where can I see my own Social Security estimate?
Create an account at ssa.gov and sign in to view your earnings record and benefit estimates. You can see what you would receive at 62, at full retirement age, and at 70. The estimates assume you continue working until you claim.