Social Security if You Were Born in 1955
Your full retirement age, earliest and latest claiming ages, and the exact benefit percentage at every claiming age from 62 through 70 — all specific to the 1955 birth-year cohort.
Full retirement age
66 years and 2 months
Earliest claiming age
62
Latest age for delayed credits
70
Because your exact FRA (66 years and 2 months) falls between two whole years, the 100%-of-PIA point in the table below sits between the 66 and 67 rows, not exactly on either one.
Run your own numbers
Preset to birth year 1955 — enter your own monthly benefit at full retirement age to compare claiming at 62, 67, and 70.
Your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). Don't know it? Estimate it from your income or check ssa.gov/myaccount.
Your Full Retirement Age (FRA): 66y 2m
Age 62
74.2% of PIA
Age 67
106.7% of PIA
Age 70
130.7% of PIA
Age 62 vs Age 67
Age 78
Delaying to Age 67 pays off if you live past 78
Age 62 vs Age 70
Age 80
Delaying to Age 70 pays off if you live past 80
Age 67 vs Age 70
Age 83
Delaying to Age 70 pays off if you live past 83
| Claiming Age | Monthly | % of PIA |
|---|---|---|
| Age 62 | $1,483 | 74.2% |
| Age 67 | $2,133 | 106.7% |
| Age 70 | $2,613 | 130.7% |
Worked example — $2,000/month PIA
Claim at 62
$1,483/mo
Claim at 67
$2,133/mo
Claim at 70
$2,613/mo
Percent of PIA by claiming age
Every whole-year claiming age from 62 to 70, for the 1955 birth-year cohort (FRA 66 years and 2 months):
| Claiming age | % of PIA |
|---|---|
| 62 | 74.2% |
| 63 | 79.2% |
| 64 | 85.6% |
| 65 | 92.2% |
| 66 | 98.9% |
| 67 (FRA milestone) | 106.7% |
| 68 | 114.7% |
| 69 | 122.7% |
| 70 | 130.7% |
Early reduction: 5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months before FRA, then 5/12 of 1% per month beyond that. Delayed credits: for a birth after 1 January 1943, 2/3 of 1% per month (8% a year) from FRA to age 70 — the rate this page's table uses. The credit is keyed to date of birth, so earlier cohorts earn less: 5/8 of 1% a month (7.5% a year) for births from 2 January 1941 through 1 January 1943, falling to 1/12 of 1% before 2 January 1917. Sources: 20 CFR 404.313(b)(2), POMS RS 00615.692 D, and SSA — Early or Late Retirement.
Frequently asked questions
What is my Social Security full retirement age if I was born in 1955?
Full retirement age (FRA) for someone born in 1955 is 66 years and 2 months. FRA is the age at which you receive 100% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) with no early-claim reduction and no delayed retirement credit yet applied.
Can I claim Social Security at 62 if I was born in 1955?
Yes — 62 is the earliest claiming age regardless of birth year. For someone born in 1955, claiming at 62 pays about 74.2% of the full PIA, permanently reduced.
How much more do I get if I wait until 70?
Delayed retirement credits stop accruing at age 70. For someone born in 1955, waiting until 70 pays about 130.7% of the full PIA — the maximum available at any age.
Sources
Related Calculators
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