Full retirement age reaches 67 in 2026 for people born in 1960

The age at which you can claim your full Social Security benefit — the amount you earned based on your work record — will be 67 starting in 2026. This applies to anyone born in 1960 or later. If you were born before 1960, your full retirement age is already set at 66 or 66 and a few months, depending on your birth year. The Social Security Administration (SSA) raised this age gradually over decades, moving it from 65 to 67 in steps of two months per birth year.

This change does not mean you cannot claim Social Security before 67. You can still file as early as 62, but your monthly payment will be permanently reduced. If you wait past 67 to claim, your monthly payment increases by about 8 percent per year until age 70. The full retirement age is simply the point where you receive the benefit amount you actually earned — no reduction, no increase.

Key Takeaways

  • Full retirement age becomes 67 for people born in 1960 or later, up from 66 for those born before 1943.
  • You can still claim at 62, but your monthly payment will be about 30 percent lower than if you waited until 67.
  • Waiting until 70 increases your monthly payment by roughly 24 percent above the full retirement age amount.
  • Your birth year determines your exact full retirement age; the SSA website has a table showing the age for each year.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits also use full retirement age as a reference point, so the change affects family members too.

How the full retirement age increase happened over time

Congress passed legislation in 1983 that gradually raised full retirement age from 65 to 67. The increase started in 2000 for people born in 1938. Every two years, the age went up by two months. For example, if you were born in 1943, your full retirement age is 66. If you were born in 1954, it is 66 and 8 months. If you were born in 1960 or later, it is 67.

The reason for the increase was straightforward: people were living longer. When Social Security started in 1935, the average life expectancy was much shorter. By the 1980s, it was clear the program would face financial pressure if the full retirement age stayed at 65. Raising it meant people would collect benefits for fewer years on average, which helped the trust fund last longer.

This does not mean the program is now fully funded. The Social Security trustees project that the trust fund reserves will be depleted sometime in the mid-2030s if no changes are made. At that point, incoming payroll taxes would cover only about 80 percent of scheduled benefits. Congress would need to act — either by raising taxes, lowering benefits, raising the full retirement age again, or some combination — to close the gap.

What your full retirement age means for your monthly payment

Your full retirement age is the age at which Social Security pays you the full benefit amount you earned. This amount is based on your 35 highest-earning years of work. The SSA calculates it using a formula that accounts for inflation and your lifetime earnings history.

If you claim before your full retirement age, your payment is reduced. The reduction is permanent — it does not go back up when you reach full retirement age. If you were born in 1960 and claim at 62, your monthly payment will be about 30 percent lower than if you waited until 67. If you claim at 65, it will be about 13 percent lower.

If you claim after your full retirement age, your payment increases. For every year you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your monthly benefit grows by about 8 percent per year. This increase stops at age 70. So if your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 70, your monthly payment will be about 24 percent higher than the full retirement age amount.

How to find your exact full retirement age

The Social Security Administration publishes a table that shows the full retirement age for each birth year. You can find it on the SSA website under "Retirement Age" or "Full Retirement Age." The table is straightforward: locate your birth year, and it shows your full retirement age down to the month.

If you were born on January 1 of any year, you use the previous year's full retirement age. This is a quirk of how the SSA calculates it, but it is consistent across all their materials.

You do not need to memorize your full retirement age. When you create a my Social Security account on the SSA website, your full retirement age is displayed in your account summary. You can also call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to ask, though wait times are often long.

Spousal and survivor benefits also use full retirement age

Full retirement age matters not just for your own benefit, but for family members who may receive benefits based on your work record. A spouse can claim a benefit based on your earnings history, and that benefit is also reduced if claimed before full retirement age. A surviving spouse or child can claim survivor benefits if you die, and those benefits also reference full retirement age for calculation purposes.

For example, if you die before claiming Social Security, your widow or widower can claim a reduced survivor benefit as early as 60, or a full survivor benefit at their own full retirement age. The amount they receive depends partly on your full retirement age and when you would have claimed.

If you are married and thinking about when to claim, your spouse's full retirement age matters too. Coordinating your claiming strategies — for instance, one spouse claiming early while the other waits — can sometimes increase the total household benefit, though the rules have changed significantly since 2015 and the options are more limited now.

What happens if you keep working past full retirement age

If you claim Social Security before your full retirement age and continue working, the SSA reduces your benefit if your earnings exceed a certain limit. For 2024, that limit is $23,400 per year. For every $2 you earn above that limit, your benefit is reduced by $1. This reduction applies only until you reach your full retirement age.

Once you reach your full retirement age, there is no earnings limit. You can work and earn as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefit. This is one reason some people choose to delay claiming until they reach full retirement age — it removes the earnings penalty.

The earnings limit changes each year based on inflation. The SSA publishes the current limit on its website and in its annual cost-of-living adjustment notices.

Planning your claiming strategy around age 67

Deciding when to claim Social Security is a personal decision that depends on your health, life expectancy, financial needs, and family situation. There is no single "right" answer. Some people need the income at 62 and cannot afford to wait. Others are in good health and expect to live into their 80s or 90s, so waiting until 70 makes sense mathematically.

The break-even point — the age at which total lifetime benefits are roughly equal whether you claimed at 62 or waited until full retirement age — is typically in the early 80s. If you expect to live past that age, waiting usually results in a higher total payout. If you expect to live shorter, claiming earlier may result in a higher total payout.

But total lifetime payout is only one factor. Some people prioritize having income now over maximizing lifetime benefits. Others are concerned about leaving a larger benefit to a surviving spouse. The SSA website has a retirement planning tool that can help you think through different scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still claim Social Security at 62 even though full retirement age is 67?

Yes. Full retirement age is the age for your full benefit amount, but you can claim as early as 62. Your payment will be permanently reduced — roughly 30 percent lower than at 67. The reduction is permanent and does not increase later.

Does the full retirement age increase affect people already receiving benefits?

No. If you are already receiving Social Security, the change does not affect your payment. The new full retirement age of 67 applies only to people born in 1960 or later who have not yet claimed.

What if I was born in 1959 — is my full retirement age 66 or 67?

If you were born in 1959, your full retirement age is 66 and 10 months. The full retirement age increases by two months for each birth year from 1943 to 1960. The SSA table shows the exact age for your birth year.

Will Congress raise the full retirement age past 67?

That is unknown. Congress would need to pass new legislation to raise it further. Some proposals include raising it to 69 or 70 over time, but no change has been enacted. Any change would likely apply only to people not yet receiving benefits and would probably be phased in gradually.

Does my full retirement age affect Medicare?

No. Medicare may be able to access is separate from Social Security. You become may be able to access for Medicare at 65, regardless of your Social Security full retirement age. You can claim Social Security at 62 and wait until 65 for Medicare, or vice versa.