If You're Turning 66 This Year, Can You Claim Your Full Social Security Benefit in 2026?

"When you collect Social Security, you're entitled to a standard benefit. This amount is called your primary insurance amount (PIA) and it's calculated based on a percentage of average monthly earnings (AIME) during your 35 highest working years. You get this standard benefit if you claim your first Social Security check when you reach full retirement age (FRA). Although you become eligible to start benefits at 62, FRA is a few years after that. Traditionally, FRA was 65, but that hasn't been the case for a while."

"If you are turning 66 in 2026, you were born in 1960. For anyone born in that year, full retirement age is is 67 years old. In 2025, those turning 66 could receive full retirement at 66 years and 10 months. This means that if you turn 66 this year, you have to wait till your birthday to start your first Social Security payment if you want your standard benefit. For most people, that's actually going to mean delaying a benefits claim into 2027 unless you want to shrink your monthly payments."

"What happens if you claim before 67? While it's disappointing to find out you may need to delay your benefits claim longer than planned, it's also important to understand the impact of an early claim so you don't make a choice you end up regretting. When you file for benefits ahead of your full retirement age, you're hit with an early filing penalty. Those penalties apply for each month you're early. For each of the first 36 months you've claimed benefits before FRA, you lose"

The primary insurance amount (PIA) is the standard Social Security benefit, calculated from a percentage of average monthly earnings (AIME) over the 35 highest-earning years. Full retirement age (FRA) determines eligibility for the PIA; claiming at FRA yields the standard benefit. FRA has gradually increased due to 1983 Social Security reforms; for those born in 1960, FRA is 67. People turning 66 in 2026 must wait until their 67th birthday to receive the standard benefit, which will cause many to delay claiming into 2027 to avoid reduced monthly payments. Filing before FRA incurs monthly early-filing penalties, with reductions applying during the first 36 months.

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