From $1,424 to $2,274: The Age You Claim Social Security Can Shape Your Monthly Benefit

The age at which you file for Social Security can permanently lower or raise your monthly benefit for the rest of your life, and the difference between the extremes is larger than many people expect.

Social Security benefits are a financial backbone for millions of Americans. And if you don’t have a sizable retirement savings cushion, you may depend heavily on those checks, too.

That is why choosing the right time to claim matters so much. Although the best filing age varies from person to person, the spread between filing as early as possible and as late as possible is significant.

The gap between age 62 and age 70

You become eligible to receive full Social Security benefits without a reduction once you reach full retirement age, or FRA, which is 67 for people born in 1960 or later.

You can start collecting Social Security at 62, but if your FRA is 67, beginning that early means accepting a permanently reduced benefit. In that case, your monthly payment will be about 30% lower for life.

By contrast, if you wait beyond FRA, your benefit grows by 8% for each year you delay, up to age 70. With an FRA of 67, that can mean a 24% increase.

All in all, there is a major difference between claiming at 62 and waiting until 70. Average benefit figures by age show just how wide the gap can be.

As of late 2025, the average 62-year-old receiving Social Security got $1,424 per month, while the average 70-year-old received $2,274 per month.

That does not mean every person in the 70-year-old group waited until 70 to claim. Many people in that category started benefits earlier and simply turned 70 during 2025.

Even so, the contrast between an early claim and a later one can be dramatic. It is important to file at an age that provides a benefit you are comfortable with and one that can support your expenses.

How to decide when to claim Social Security

Choosing when to file is not simple. It is not only about the size of the monthly check. Your health and family history also matter, because they can affect how much Social Security you collect over your lifetime.

If your health is poor and your parents died relatively young, filing at 62 could produce a larger lifetime benefit, even though the monthly amount is smaller. But even then, the choice is not always straightforward.

If you are the higher earner in your household and expect to die well before your spouse, they will usually be able to receive survivor benefits from Social Security. Those benefits are generally equal to the monthly benefit you were collecting.

In that case, claiming at 62 might improve your lifetime payout, but it could also reduce the survivor benefit your spouse receives, which may make waiting until FRA or 70 the better overall option.

That is why it is important to consider the full picture when making a Social Security decision. The average benefit at 62 versus 70 can serve as a guide, but the best approach is to run the numbers using your own situation.

Creating an SSA.gov account can help you estimate your retirement benefit. From there, compare what you would receive at 62 and at 70, then weigh those figures against your health, family history, and household income needs to make an informed choice.