For decades, there has been a controversy over the optimum full retirement age for claiming full Social Security payments. Since the first collapse of the Social Security system in the early 1980s, the exact age at which claimants could claim full benefits has steadily increased.
The process was carried out in phases to make it as equitable as possible for people waiting to collect benefits, but the retirement age has been progressively rising from 65 to 67 years old for decades.
The phased approach meant that people waiting to retire were only delayed by a few months at a period, with each birth year after 1954 adding two months until the full retirement age of 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
This is good news for individuals born before that date, as their full retirement age is approaching, with some having only a few months till they can collect benefits and others having a full year to go. Because the retirement age is entirely determined by a person’s birth year, it might be difficult to compute.
This is why the Social Security Administration produced handy charts to ensure that no future retirees accidentally claimed benefits early, resulting in a loss of crucial retirement income.
Here is the full list of retirement age months based on the birthday month and year of the work for 2025 and 2026:
| Retirement Month | Birth Month/Year |
| Retirement month January 2025 | Those born in June 1958 |
| Retirement month February 2025 | Those born in July 1958 |
| Retirement month March 2025 | Those born in August 1958 |
| Retirement month May 2025 | Those born in September 1958 |
| Retirement month June 2025 | Those born in October 1958 |
| Retirement month July 2025/August 2025 | Those born in November 1958 |
| Retirement month September 2025 | Those born in December 1958 |
| Retirement month October 2025 | Those born in January 1959 |
| Retirement month November 2025 | Those born in February 1959 |
| Retirement month December 2025 | Those born in March 1959 |
| Retirement month January 2026 | Those born in April 1959 |
| Retirement month February 2026 | Those born in May 1959 |
| Retirement month March 2026 | Those born in June 1959 |
| Retirement month April 2026 | Those born in July 1959 |
| Retirement month May 2026 | Those born in August 1959 |
| Retirement month June 2026 | Those born in September 1959 |
| Retirement month July 2026 | Those born in October 1959 |
| Retirement month August 2026 | Those born in November 1959 |
| Retirement month September 2026 | Those born in December 1959 |
Claiming Social Security benefits
For those who want to claim benefits as soon as they reach their full retirement age, keep in mind that it takes time to file for and be approved for benefits; however, it is easier to claim a little later than you think and possibly accumulate one month’s worth of benefits than to try to claim on the exact date and end up claiming early.
Filing at the proper time is critical to ensuring that your benefits are not decreased.
For individuals who want even more benefits, consider Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs), which are available to workers who stay in the job after their full retirement age.
These credits accrue until age 70, when no more DRCs exist and benefits begin for individuals who have not already claimed.
Because these credits accumulate on a monthly basis, the exact amount of additional benefits will be determined by the beneficiary. For example, if a person born in 1959 retires at the age of 70, their benefit amount will be 125.3 percent of their full retirement age.