What’s the best age to start getting Social Security benefits? What the numbers say

Claiming benefits before Full Retirement Age (FRA) can reduce your monthly benefits by as much as 30%. Waiting until FRA – that’s currently 67 years for people born 1960 or later – makes you eligible for 100% of your benefits but requires delaying five years past the earliest eligibility age of 62. Delaying to FRA also removes income limitations for people who are still working.