You can apply for retirement benefits online at or call our toll-free number. Or you can make an appointment with a local Social Security office to apply in person. Depending on your circumstances, you’ll need some or all the documents listed below.

Do you have to file for Social Security at 65?

We calculate your benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings. There is no incentive to delay filing for your benefits after age 70. If you are not receiving your Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you will need to apply for Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) three months before you turn 65.

What happens if you file for Social Security at age 65?

Full retirement age is determined based on the year you were born, as follows: DATA SOURCE: SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. If you file for benefits at age 65, it means you’re automatically claiming them ahead of FRA, and as such, you’ll face a reduction for each month you file early.

How old do you have to be to get full Social Security benefits?

Depending on when you were born, you will be eligible for full retirement benefits as early as age 65 or as late as age 67. If you were born before 1938, your full, or “normal,” retirement age is 65. If you were born between 1938 and 1942, the age ranges from 65 and 2 months to 65 and 10 months. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, it’s 66.

What’s the average Social Security benefit for a 65 year old?

Social Security keeps millions of seniors afloat, with the average beneficiary today collecting $17,532 a year. If you’re turning 65 in the near future, you might be tempted to file for benefits and start getting your hands on some of that money.

When is the right time to file for Social Security?

65 isn’t full retirement age. Many seniors are quick to assume that 65 is the right time to file for Social Security because that’s when Medicare eligibility kicks in.