ABA Family Legal Guide

The Rights of Older Americans

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income

When can I retire?

The normal or full retirement age is sixty-five for workers born before 1938. For workers born between 1938 and 1960, the full retirement age will increase gradually to sixty-seven. To determine your full retirement age, you can go to the retirement section of the Social Security Administration's website, www.ssa.gov/retirement, and enter your birth year. The statement you receive each year from Social Security also should contain this information.

You can collect partial benefits as early as age sixty-two if you are fully insured. The benefits are reduced, because you potentially have more years of retirement to cover. Early retirement benefits will not be raised when you turn full retirement age, except for normal cost-of-living adjustments.

If you delay retirement until you are older than your full retirement age but no older than age seventy, your benefits will be increased, because you will not have as many years of retirement in which to collect.

Of course, you can retire whenever you want or can afford to, but you will not receive Social Security retirement benefits until you are at least sixty-two.