To apply for early retirement, you file for Social Security benefits with the Social Security Administration once you turn 62 — online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at a local SSA office. You can submit your application up to four months before you want payments to start.1Social Security Administration. Timing Your First Payment Filing at 62 is allowed, but it locks in a permanently lower monthly benefit — about 30 percent less than what you would get by waiting until full retirement age of 67.2Social Security Administration. Benefits Planner: Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction Before you file, confirm you qualify, gather your documents, and understand what claiming early costs.
Confirm You Qualify
Two things have to be true. You must be at least 62, and you must have earned enough work credits through jobs covered by Social Security. Most people need 40 credits, which is roughly ten years of work.3Social Security Administration. Retirement Benefits Credits come from wages or self-employment income on which you paid Social Security payroll taxes, and you can earn up to four per year. In 2026, one credit takes $1,890 in earnings.4Social Security Administration. Quarter of Coverage
Not sure where you stand? Create a “my Social Security” account at ssa.gov. Your statement lists your reported earnings year by year and shows estimated benefits at different claiming ages.
Know What Claiming Early Costs You
The reduction for filing before full retirement age is permanent. Your check does not jump back up when you hit 67. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67, and filing five full years early at 62 cuts the benefit by roughly 30 percent.2Social Security Administration. Benefits Planner: Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction Someone entitled to $1,000 a month at 67 would draw about $700 a month by filing at 62.
The math is monthly. For the first 36 months you claim early, the benefit drops by five-ninths of one percent per month. Beyond 36 months, each additional month cuts another five-twelfths of one percent.5Social Security Administration. Benefits Planner: Retirement Age and Benefit Reductiona> Even waiting one or two years past 62 shrinks the reduction noticeably.
Spousal benefits shrink too. A spouse who claims on your record at 62, with a full retirement age of 67, sees the spousal benefit reduced by about 35 percent.2Social Security Administration. Benefits Planner: Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction
Documents to Have Ready
Gathering these before you open the application prevents holdups.
- Proof of age, usually a birth certificate. If you were born outside the U.S., bring proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status, such as naturalization papers.6Social Security Administration. What Documents Do You Need to Apply for Retirement Benefits
- Social Security numbers for you, your current spouse, and any former spouse to whom you were married at least ten years. The SSA uses these to check for auxiliary benefits.7Social Security Administration. Form SSA-1 – Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare
- W-2 forms from last year, or your most recent self-employment tax return if you ran a business.6Social Security Administration. What Documents Do You Need to Apply for Retirement Benefits
- Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit. Federal law requires Social Security payments to be electronic, either to a bank account or a Direct Express debit card.8Social Security Administration. Direct Deposit
- Military discharge papers such as a DD-214 if you served. The SSA uses them to apply additional wage credits to your earnings record.9Social Security Administration. Special Extra Earnings for Military Service
The application itself is Form SSA-1, the Application for Retirement Insurance Benefits.7Social Security Administration. Form SSA-1 – Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare You do not need to fill out a paper copy in advance; the online system walks through every question.
How to File
You can apply up to four months before you want benefits to start.1Social Security Administration. Timing Your First Payment There is no fee.
- Online at ssa.gov is the fastest route. The portal takes you through verification screens, has you confirm your information, and lets you sign and submit electronically.7Social Security Administration. Form SSA-1 – Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare
- By phone, call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, to schedule an interview. A representative enters your responses.10Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security By Phone
- In person at a local SSA office. Staff can scan originals like birth certificates and hand them back the same day.
One timing rule matters if you file early: you generally cannot get retroactive benefits for months before your application date. Only people who apply after full retirement age can pick up as many as six months of back payments.11Social Security Administration. Delayed Retirement Credits Your benefits will begin no sooner than the month you apply, or a later month you choose.
After You Apply
Processing usually takes about six weeks, longer if the SSA has to clean up records. You will get confirmation that your application was received, and you can watch its status through your “my Social Security” account. When a decision is made, the SSA mails an award letter with your approved monthly amount and your first payment date.
Payment day depends on your birthday:12Social Security Administration. What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits
- Born on the 1st through 10th: paid on the second Wednesday of each month.
- Born on the 11th through 20th: paid on the third Wednesday.
- Born on the 21st through 31st: paid on the fourth Wednesday.
Each payment covers the previous month. A June benefit lands in July on your assigned Wednesday.1Social Security Administration. Timing Your First Payment
If You Keep Working
Plenty of early retirees still hold a job. Before you reach full retirement age, earnings above a set limit trigger a temporary withholding from your benefit. In 2026:13Social Security Administration. Receiving Benefits While Working
- If you will be under full retirement age all year, you can earn up to $24,480 with no reduction. Above that, the SSA withholds $1 for every $2 you earn.
- In the year you reach full retirement age, a higher limit of $65,160 applies to earnings in the months before your birthday, and the SSA withholds $1 for every $3 above that.
- Once you are at full retirement age, there is no earnings limit at all.
Withheld benefits are not gone. When you reach full retirement age, the SSA recalculates your monthly payment to credit the months benefits were held back, which lifts your ongoing check.14Social Security Administration. Program Explainer: Retirement Earnings Test
Health Coverage Until Medicare
Medicare eligibility begins at 65, so retiring at 62 leaves up to a three-year coverage gap.15Medicare. Get Started With Medicare Losing job-based insurance qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period on the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, and lower retirement income can put premium tax credits within reach. COBRA continuation from a former employer is another option, though you pay the full premium plus an administrative fee. Retiree health benefits from a former employer are a third path, but enrolling in that coverage generally disqualifies you from Marketplace premium tax credits.16HealthCare.gov. Health Care Coverage for Retirees
If You Change Your Mind
You get one chance to undo an early filing. Within 12 months of your first month of entitlement, you can withdraw your application. You must repay every dollar of benefits you and anyone else drawing on your record have already received. It can only be done once in a lifetime.17Social Security Administration. Code of Federal Regulations 404-0640 After the withdrawal, it is as if you never filed, and your future benefit continues to grow with age.