Content Overview 
- Summary
- Amount Of Retirement Benefits
- Who Is Eligible For Social Security Retirement?
- Becoming Fully Insured
- Full Retirement Benefits: Age At Which You Can Receive Full Retirement Benefits
- Early Retirement: Amount of Retirement Benefits
- Delayed Retirement
- Impact of Other Pension Benefits On Social Security Retirement Benefits
- Working While Collecting Social Security Retirement Benefits
- Taxation of Social Security Benefits
- Spouses: Benefits For Spouses
Social Security Retirement Insurance
Delayed Retirement
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Just as you have the option of taking early retirement, you have the option to continue to work beyond your Full Retirement Age and delay starting your benefits.
If you choose to delay retirement, you will receive a monthly benefit greater than the Full Retirement Benefit. Just as the Early Retirement Amount is reduced because you will probably collect it longer, the Delayed Retirement Benefit is larger because averages say you won't collect it as long. Additionally, the odds are you will be earning more now than in your early years so the 40 credits used to calculate your benefit will be from a higher base than if you didn't add the higher earnings years.
The amount of any increase varies with your date of birth. This again is meant to provide approximately the same total benefit over a person's lifetime, regardless of the age at which the collection of benefits begins. The percentage increase in the Delayed Retirement Benefit over the Full Retirement Benefit is shown in the table below:
Year of Birth |
Yearly Rate of Increase |
1917 -- 1924 |
3% |
1925 -- 1926 |
3.5% |
1927 -- 1928 |
4% |
1929 -- 1930 |
4.5% |
1931 -- 1932 |
5% |
1933 -- 1934 |
5.5% |
1935 -- 1936 |
6% |
1937 -- 1938 |
6.5% |
1939 -- 1940 |
7% |
1941 -- 1942 |
7.5% |
1943 or later |
8% |
Calculations: If you want to calculate the benefit amounts you would receive if you started retirement at different ages, take a look at the Social Security Retirement Planner at www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm . It has a calculator that allows you to get a quick, online calculation of benefits based on earnings and other information that you provide. Because of confidentiality concerns, Social Security will not display your real earnings record on line.