Social Security Claiming Age Calculator
Compare Social Security benefits at 62, full retirement age and 70, with lifetime totals and break-even ages.
Free · No sign-up · Your inputs stay in your browser
Your numbers
Compare claiming ages
Your projection
Claiming at 70 pays most to 85
Claim at 62
$1,680 / mo
$463,680 by age 85.
Claim at 67
$2,400 / mo
$518,400 by age 85.
Claim at 70
$2,976 / mo
$535,680 by age 85.
Break-even, 62 against 67
Age 78.7
67 against 70: age 82.5.
Monthly figures in today's dollars; cost-of-living adjustments raise all three alike. For a married higher earner, delaying also raises the survivor benefit the spouse keeps, which this comparison does not count.
About this tool
Method, assumptions, practical next steps, and limits.
A permanent decision
Claiming early gives a smaller check for more years; delaying gives a larger check for fewer. The benefit you choose, adjusted for inflation, lasts for life.
How the calculation works
Claiming early reduces the benefit by 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months before full retirement age and 5/12 of 1% for each month beyond. Delaying past full retirement age adds 2/3 of 1% a month, 8% a year, until 70.
With a $2,400 benefit at 67, claiming at 62 pays $1,680 and at 70 pays $2,976. Planning to age 85, the lifetime totals are $463,680, $518,400 and $535,680. Claiming at 67 overtakes 62 around age 78.7, and 70 overtakes 67 around 82.5.
What else to weigh
For married couples, the higher earner’s benefit becomes the survivor benefit, which makes delaying more valuable. Claiming before full retirement age while working can temporarily withhold benefits under the earnings test. Get your own estimate from your Social Security statement at ssa.gov/myaccount.
