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February 26, 2019
Social Security Benefit Claiming Age
Background
Figure 1. Social Security Retired-Worker Benefits,
Social Security provides monthly cash benefits to retired or
Claiming Age Distribution, 1985-2017
disabled workers and their family members as well as to the
family members of deceased workers. The Social Security
full retirement age (FRA) is the age at which retired
workers can first claim full Social Security retired-worker
benefits. The FRA was 65 at the inception of Social
Security in 1935. As part of legislation enacted in 1983
(P.L. 98-21), starting with workers born in 1938, the FRA
increased by two months every birth year until the FRA
reached 66 for workers born in 1943 to 1954, and then
increases again in two-month increments until the FRA
reaches 67 for workers born in 1960 or later.
Retired workers can claim retirement benefits as early as
age 62 (the earliest eligibility age, or EEA). Benefits
claimed between age 62 and the FRA, however, are subject
to a permanent reduction for early retirement. For each of
Source: Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical
the 36 months immediately preceding the FRA, the monthly
Supplement, 2000-2018, Table 6.A4, and Table 6.B5.
rate of reduction from the full retirement benefit is five-
Notes: The RET was repealed for workers who have reached the
ninths of 1%. For each month earlier than three years (36
FRA in 2000 (P.L. 106-182). The proportion of retired workers who
months) before the FRA, the monthly rate of reduction is
claimed Social Security benefits at age 66 includes those between ages
five-twelfths of 1%. Therefore, for a worker with an FRA
66 and 69 during 1985 to 1998.
of 65, claiming benefits at 62 results in a 20% permanent
reduction in their monthly benefit; the reduction is 25% if
The majority of retired workers claimed Social Security
the FRA is 66, and 30% if the FRA is 67.
benefits at age 62 (almost 60%) between 1985 and 1999. In
2000, for those reaching age 62, the FRA began to increase.
Workers who claim benefits after the FRA may receive a
Under the scheduled increases enacted in 1983 (P.L. 98-
delayed retirement credit (DRC). The maximum age at
21), starting with workers born in 1938, the FRA increased
which the DRC applies is age 70. Any further delay in
from age 65 in two-month increments until the FRA
claiming benefits past age 70 does not result in a higher
reached 66 for workers born in 1943 to 1954. As a higher
benefit. Under current law, the amount of the credit varies
FRA results in a larger benefit reduction at age 62, the
based on the worker’s year of birth. The credit for workers
proportion of retired workers who claimed benefits at the
born in 1943 or later is 8% per year.
FRA has increased and those who claimed benefits at age
62 has declined since 2000. However, the high
Age Distribution of Social Security
unemployment during the recent economic recession (2007-
Benefit Claims for Retired Workers
2009) was likely to result in some people claiming early
Social Security benefits. When the FRA reached age 66 for
By Calendar Year
those born in 1943, age 66 replaced age 65 as the second
In general, most retired workers claim their retirement
peak age at which retired workers claimed Social Security
benefits at either age 62 (the EEA) or the FRA. In most
benefits. Since then, there has been a continuing decline in
years after 1985, about three quarters of retired-worker
the proportion of retired workers who claimed benefits at
benefits were awarded to workers who claimed benefits at
age 62, and an increase in the proportion of retired workers
age 62 or the FRA (see Figure 1), 20% were awarded to
who claim benefits at the FRA of 66. The proportion of
retired workers older than the EEA but younger than the
retired workers who claimed benefits at age 65 dropped, but
FRA, and the remaining 5% were awarded to retired
still remained above 11% after 2009.
workers who claimed benefits after the FRA. However, the
age distribution of Social Security benefit claims has shifted
The RET results in a withholding of monthly benefits for
to later ages in the past two decades. Several factors are
Social Security beneficiaries whose earnings exceed certain
likely to have contributed to the change in Social Security
thresholds set in law. In 2000, Congress repealed the RET
benefit claiming ages, including changes in the FRA, the
for workers who have reached the FRA (P.L. 106-182) in
retirement earnings test (RET), the DRC, economic
order to encourage older people to work. The earnings test
environment, and the population age distribution.
now applies only to beneficiaries who are under the FRA.
This provision was likely to encourage more workers at and
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Social Security Benefit Claiming Age
above the FRA to claim Social Security benefits at the
Workers who were born between 1943 and 1948 have a
FRA, as their benefits would not be reduced for earnings.
FRA of 66. The proportion of those workers aged 62 to 69
This among other reasons lead to a larger proportion of
who claimed Social Security benefits at age 62 remained
retired workers claiming benefits at the FRA, and a smaller
relatively stable around 47%, the proportion of those who
proportion at age 62 since 2000.
claimed benefits at age 65 declined from 23% to 12%, and
the proportion of those who claimed benefits at the FRA
In addition, the increase in the DRC might have increased
increased and stayed around 20%.
the incentive to take up benefits after the FRA, thus shifting
the claiming age distribution of Social Security benefits
The change in the distribution of Social Security benefit
toward later ages. Comparing workers who were born in
claiming age is relatively consistent for both male and
1925 with those born in 1943 or later, the DRC increased
female workers. But women were generally more likely
from 3.5% per year to 8%. The proportion of retired
than men to claim benefits at age 62, the EEA, and were
workers who claimed benefits after attaining the FRA
less likely to claim benefits at the FRA (see Figure 3).
increased from about 4% in 2010 (when people born in
1943 attained age 67) to 12% in 2017.
Figure 3. Social Security Retired-Worker Benefits
Claiming Age Distribution by Gender, Birth Year
Baby boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964,
1933-1948
started to attain the EEA of 62 in 2008. So the change in the
age distribution of Social Security benefit claims among
retired workers may also reflect the change in the
population age distribution.
By Birth Year
To analyze the behavior of each birth cohort, Figure 2
displays the proportion of retired workers between the ages
of 62 and 69 who claimed Social Security benefits at age
62, 65, and 66 for workers in the birth cohorts from 1933 to
1948 (people born in 1948 attained age 69 in 2017).
As noted earlier, the FRA gradually increased from age 65
to 66 for workers who were born between 1938 and 1943.
Since a higher FRA results in a larger benefit reduction at
the EEA of 62, the proportion of workers in the 1938-1943
Source: Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical
birth cohorts that claimed benefits at age 62 declined, and
Supplement, 2000-2018, Table 6.A4.
the proportion of those workers who claimed benefits at the
FRA increased. For workers who were born in 1943, the
Other Factors
FRA reached age 66, and the proportion of workers who
In addition to the policy changes discussed above, some
claimed benefits at the age of 66 increased more than 12
other factors may also affect the ages at which retired
percentage points compared with the prior cohorts.
workers claim Social Security benefits. For example, one
study finds that receipt of the Social Security Statement, a
Figure 2. Social Security Retired-Worker Benefits
benefit estimate statement made available to workers by
Claiming Age Distribution, Birth Year 1933-1948
Social Security Administration since 1995, decreases the
likelihood of benefit claiming at earlier ages and increases
the likelihood of claiming at later ages such as 65. Some
provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-
74) changed certain Social Security benefits filing rules and
will possibly affect the claiming behavior of some retired
workers at the FRA and older.
Further, some studies suggest that couples like to retire
together, and because husbands tend to be older than their
wives on average, the increased labor force participation of
women since the 1960s may lead to later retirement of men.
Researchers also have shown that peers at workplace or
those closest in age tend to have positive impact on
individual retirement decisions, so policies that encourage
later retirement spillover to adjacent cohorts and amplify
Source: Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical
the effect of changes in retirement incentives.
Supplement, 2000-2018, Table 6.A4.
Note: The RET was repealed for workers who have reached the
Zhe Li, Analyst in Social Policy
FRA in 2000 (P.L. 106-182).
IF11115
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Social Security Benefit Claiming Age
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