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Social Security and your retirement plan
Social Security is part of the retirement plan of almost
every American worker. It’s important to know how the
system works and how much you’ll receive from us when
you retire.
This booklet explains:
• How you become eligible for Social Security benets.
• How your earnings and age can affect your benets.
• What you should consider in deciding when to retire.
• Why you shouldn’t rely only on Social Security for all
your retirement income.
This basic information about Social Security retirement
benets isn’t intended to answer all questions. For specic
information about your situation, you should talk with one
of our representatives. Please call our toll-free number.
Your retirement benets
How do you become eligible for retirement
benets?
When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn
“credits” toward Social Security benets. The number of
credits you need to receive retirement benets depends
on when you were born. If you were born in 1929 or later,
you need 40 credits (10 years of work).
If you stop working before you have enough credits to be
eligible for benets, the credits will remain on your Social
Security record. If you return to work later, we will add
more credits based on the amount you earn. We can’t
pay any retirement benets until you have the required
number of credits.
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How much will your retirement benet be?
We base your benet payment on how much you earned
throughout your working career. Higher lifetime earnings
result in higher benets. If there were some years you
didn’t work or had low earnings, your benet amount may
be lower than if you had worked steadily.
The age at which you decide to retire also affects your
benet. If you retire at age 62, the earliest possible Social
Security retirement age, your benet will be lower than if
you wait. The “Early retirement” section explains this in
more detail.
Get personalized retirement benet estimates
As you make plans for your retirement, you may ask,
“How much will I get from Social Security?” If you have
a personal my Social Security account, you can get an
estimate of your personal retirement benets and see
the effects of different ages to begin receiving retirement
benets. If you don’t have a personal my Social Security
account, create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. To
create a personal my Social Security account, you must
be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and have a valid
email address and Social Security number (SSN).
Full retirement age
If you were born in 1957 or earlier, you’re already eligible
for your full Social Security benet. The full retirement
age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full
retirement age increases gradually if you were born from
1955 to 1960 until it reaches 67. For anyone born 1960 or
later, full retirement benets are payable at age 67.
The chart on the next page lists the full retirement age by
year of birth.
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Age to receive full Social Security benets
Year of birth Full retirement age
1943-1954 66
1955 66 and 2 months
1956 66 and 4 months
1957 66 and 6 months
1958 66 and 8 months
1959 66 and 10 months
1960 and later 67
NOTE: People born on January 1 of any year, refer to the
previous year.
Early retirement
You can receive Social Security retirement benets as
early as age 62. However, we’ll reduce your benet if you
start receiving benets before your full retirement age. For
example, if you turn age 62 in 2024, your benet would be
about 30% lower than it would be at your full retirement
age of 67.
Some people will stop working before age 62. But if they
do, the years with no earnings will probably mean a lower
Social Security benet when they decide to start receiving
benets.
Sometimes health problems force people to retire
early. If you can’t work because of health problems,
consider applying for Social Security disability
benets. The disability benet amount is the same
as a full, unreduced retirement benet. If you get
Social Security disability benets when you reach full
retirement age, we convert those benets to retirement
benets. For more information, read Disability Benets
(Publication No. 05-10029).
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Delayed retirement
You can choose to continue working beyond your full
retirement age. If you do, you can increase future Social
Security benets in two ways.
Each extra year you work adds another year of earnings
to your Social Security record. Higher lifetime earnings
can mean higher benets when you retire.
Also, your benet will increase from the time you reach
full retirement age, until you start to receive benets, or
until you reach age 70. We’ll add 8% to your benet for
each full year you delay receiving Social Security benets
beyond full retirement age.
NOTE: You should sign up for Medicare 3 months before
your 65th birthday, even if you haven’t started receiving
retirement benets yet. In some circumstances, medical
insurance costs more if you delay applying for it. You can
nd more information in the “A word about Medicare”
section below.
Decide when to start receiving retirement
benets
Choosing when to start receiving retirement benets is
an important decision. No matter the age you plan to start
receiving benets, contact us in advance to learn your
choices to make the best decisions. Sometimes, your
choice of the month to begin receiving benets could
mean higher benet payments for you and your family.
Social Security benets replace a percentage of a
worker’s pre-retirement income. The amount of your
average wages that Social Security retirement benets
replaces varies depending on your earnings and when
you choose to start benets. If you start benets at age
67, this percentage ranges from as much as 78% for
very low earners, to about 42% for medium earners,
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and about 28% for high earners. If you start benets
earlier than age 67, these percentages would be lower.
After age 67 they’d be higher. Most nancial advisers
say you will need about 80% of pre-retirement income
to live comfortably in retirement, which includes your
Social Security benets, investments, and other personal
savings. For more information on other factors to consider
as you think about when to start receiving Social Security
retirement benets read Your Retirement Checklist
(Publication No. 05-10377).
You can apply up to 4 months before you want
your retirement benets to start. If you’re not ready
to begin receiving retirement benets, but are
thinking about doing so soon, visit our website at
www.ssa.gov/benets/retirement to learn more.
Advance Designation
Advance Designation is available to capable adult and
emancipated minor applicants and beneciaries of
Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
and Special Veterans Benets. It allows beneciaries to
designate up to three people who could potentially serve
as their representative payee in the future, if the need
arises.
By selecting a representative payee in advance, you’ll
have peace of mind knowing that someone you trust may
be appointed to manage your benets if needed.
You can submit an Advance Designation request when
you le an application for benets, online with your
personal my Social Security account, or by telephone.
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Family benets
Benets for family members
If you get Social Security retirement benets, some
members of your family may also be eligible for benets.
Eligible members include:
• Spouses age 62 or older.
• Spouses younger than 62, if they care for a child
entitled on your record who is younger than age 16 or
has a qualifying disability.
• Former spouses, if they are age 62 or older
(see our section “Benets for a divorced spouse” for
more information).
• Unmarried children up to age 18, or up to 19 if full-time
student at an elementary or secondary school (grade
12 or below).
• Unmarried children age 18 or older with a disability that
began before age 22.
If you become the parent of a child (this includes an
adopted child) after you begin to get benets, let us know.
Then we’ll decide if the child is eligible for benets.
Spouse’s benets
Spouses who never worked or have low earnings can
get up to half of a retired worker’s full benets. If you’re
eligible for both your own retirement benets and
spouse’s benets, we always pay your own benets rst.
If your benets as a spouse are higher than your own
retirement benet, you’ll receive a combination of benets
that equal the higher spouse’s benet.
For example, a person qualies for a retirement benet of
$1,250 and a spouse’s benet of $1,400. At full retirement
age, they will get their own $1,250 retirement benet. We
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also will add $150 from their spouse’s benet, for a total of
$1,400. If the person takes the retirement benet before
their full retirement age, we’ll reduce both amounts.
If you were born before January 2, 1954, are at least full
retirement age, and are eligible for your own retirement
benets and also spouse’s (or divorced spouse’s)
benets, you can choose to:
• Restrict your application.
• Apply for one of the benets.
• Delay your application for the other until a later date.
If you were born on or after January 2, 1954, and are
eligible for both retirement and spouse’s (or divorced
spouse’s) benets, you must apply for both benets. This
is called “deemed ling.” If you le for one benet, you are
“deemed” to le for the other one, too, even if you don’t
become eligible for it until later.
If you receive a pension based on work for which you
didn’t pay Social Security taxes, we may reduce your
spouse’s benet. For more information see the section
“Pensions from work not covered by Social Security”.
If spouses receive Social Security retirement benets
before they reach full retirement age, we reduce the
benet. The amount we reduce the benet by depends on
when the person reaches full retirement age.
For example, if full retirement age is 67, a spouse can get
32.5% of the worker’s unreduced benet at age 62.
The benet increases the longer you wait to receive
benets, up to the maximum of 50% at full retirement age.
Your spouse can receive full benets, regardless of age,
if taking care of a child entitled on your record. The child
must be under age 16, or have a qualifying disability that
began before age 22.
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NOTE: Your current spouse can’t get spouse’s benets
until you le for retirement benets.
Children’s benets
Your dependent child may get benets on your earnings
record when you start your Social Security retirement
benets. Your child may get up to half of your full benet.
To receive benets, your child must be unmarried and
meet one of the following requirements:
• Younger than age 18.
• 18-19 years old and a full-time student at an
elementary or secondary school (no higher than grade
12).
• 18 or older and have a qualifying disability that began
before age 22.
Under certain circumstances, we can also pay benets to
a stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild, or adopted child.
NOTE: Children with disabilities whose parents have
limited income and resources may be eligible for SSI.
For more information, visit our website or call our toll-free
number.
Maximum family benets
If you have children eligible for Social Security, each will
receive up to half of your full benet. But there’s a limit
to how much money we can pay to you and your family.
This limit varies between 150% and 180% of your own
benet payment. If the total benets due to your spouse
and children are more than this limit, we’ll reduce their
benets. Your benet won’t be affected.
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Benets for a divorced spouse
Your divorced spouse can receive benets on your Social
Security record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years.
Your divorced spouse must be 62 or older and unmarried.
The benets they get don’t affect the amount you or your
current spouse can get.
Also, your former spouse can get benets even if you
haven’t started to receive retirement benets. You both
must be at least 62 and divorced at least 2 years.
What you need to know when you’re eligible
for retirement benets
How do you sign up for Social Security?
You can apply for retirement benets online at
www.ssa.gov, call our toll-free number, or contact a local
Social Security ofce.
Depending on your circumstances, you’ll need some or all
the documents listed below. Don’t delay your application
for benets if you don’t have all the information. If you
don’t have a document you need, we can help you get it.
Information and documents you’ll need include:
• Your SSN.
• Your birth certicate.
• Your W-2 forms or self-employment tax return
for last year.
• Your military discharge papers if you had
military service.
• Your spouse’s birth certicate and SSN if they’re
applying for benets.
• Your children’s birth certicates and SSNs, if you’re
applying for children’s benets.
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• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you (or
a spouse or child applying for benets) were not born
in the United States.
• The name of your nancial institution, the routing
number, and your account number for direct deposit. If
you don’t have an account at a nancial institution, or
prefer to get your benets on a prepaid debit card, you
can get a Direct Express
®
card. For more information,
visit www.GoDirect.gov.
You must submit original documents or copies certied by
the issuing ofce. We must see the original document(s)
or copies certied by the agency that issued them.
We cannot accept expired, notarized, or photocopied
documents. You can mail or bring them to us. We’ll make
photocopies and return your documents.
Right to appeal
If you disagree with a decision made on your claim, you
can appeal it. You can handle your own appeal with free
help from us, or you can choose to have a representative
help you. We can give you information about
organizations that can help you nd a representative. For
more information about the appeals process and how to
select a representative, read Your Right to Question the
Decision Made on Your Claim (Publication No. 05-10058).
If you work and receive benets at the same time
You can continue to work and still receive retirement
benets. Your earnings in (or after) the month you
reach your full retirement age won’t reduce your Social
Security benets. We’ll reduce your benets, however,
if your earnings exceed certain limits for the months
before you reach full retirement age. (See the chart in the
“Full retirement age” section.)
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Here is how it works:
If you’re younger than full retirement age, we’ll deduct $1
in benets for each $2 you earn above the annual limit.
In the year you reach your full retirement age, we’ll reduce
your benets $1 for every $3 you earn over an annual
limit. This reduction continues until the month you reach
full retirement age. Once you reach full retirement age,
you can keep working, and we won’t reduce your Social
Security benet no matter how much you earn.
If, within the year, your earnings are higher or lower than
you estimated, let us know as soon as possible, so we
can adjust your benets.
A special monthly rule
A special rule applies to your earnings for 1 year, usually
the 1
st
year you receive retirement benets. Under this
rule, you can get a full Social Security payment for any
month you earn under a certain limit, regardless of your
yearly earnings.
If you want more information on how earnings affect your
retirement benet, read How Work Affects Your Benets
(Publication No. 05-10069). This pamphlet has a list of the
current annual and monthly earnings limits.
Your benets may be taxable
About 40% of people who get Social Security have to pay
income taxes on their benets. For example:
• If you le a federal tax return as an “individual,” and
your combined income is between $25,000 and
$34,000, you may have to pay taxes on up to 50%
of your Social Security benets. If your combined
income is more than $34,000, up to 85% of your Social
Security benets is subject to income tax.
• If you le a joint return, you may have to pay taxes
on 50% of your benets if you and your spouse have
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a combined income between $32,000 and $44,000.
If your combined income is more than $44,000, up
to 85% of your Social Security benets is subject to
income tax.
• If you’re married and le a separate return, you’ll
probably pay taxes on your benets.
At the end of each year, we’ll mail you a Social Security
Benet Statement (Form SSA-1099) that shows the
amount of benets you received. Use this statement when
you complete your federal income tax return to nd out if
you must pay taxes on your benets.
Although you’re not required to have Social Security
withhold federal taxes, you may nd it easier than paying
quarterly estimated tax payments.
For more information, read Tax Guide for Seniors (IRS
Publication No. 554) and Social Security and Equivalent
Railroad Retirement Benets (IRS Publication No.
915) at www.irs.gov/publications. You can also call
the Internal Revenue Service’s toll-free telephone
number, 1-800-829-3676.
NOTE: On the 1040 tax return, your “combined income”
is the sum of your adjusted gross income plus nontaxable
interest plus half of your Social Security benets.
Pensions from work not covered by
Social Security
If you get a pension from work for which you paid Social
Security taxes, that pension won’t affect your Social
Security benets. However, if you get a retirement or
disability pension from work not covered by Social
Security, we may reduce your Social Security benet.
Work not covered by Social Security includes the federal
civil service, some state or local government employment,
or work in a foreign country.
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Government workers who are eligible for Social Security
benets on the earnings record of a spouse, can read
Government Pension Offset (Publication No. 05-10007)
for more information. People who worked in another
country, or government workers who are also eligible
for their own Social Security benets, can read Windfall
Elimination Provision (Publication No. 05-10045).
Have plans to leave the United States?
If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can travel to, or live in,
most foreign countries without any effect on your Social
Security benets. There are, however, a few countries
where we can’t send Social Security payments. These
countries are Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, North Korea, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. We can make exceptions,
however, for certain eligible beneciaries in countries
other than Cuba and North Korea. For more information
about these exceptions, contact your local Social Security
ofce.
If you work outside the United States, different rules apply
in deciding if you can receive benets.
For more information, read Your Payments While You Are
Outside The United States (Publication No. 05-10137).
A word about Medicare
Medicare is our country’s health insurance plan for people
who are age 65 or older.
However, you can get Medicare at any age if:
• You’ve been entitled to Social Security disability
benets for 24 months.
• You’ve been entitled to Social Security disability
benets and have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou
Gehrig's disease).
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• You have End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent
kidney failure that requires dialysis or a kidney
transplant).
Parts of Medicare
We enroll you in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
• Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) helps cover
inpatient care in hospitals, (that includes critical access
hospitals), and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial
or long-term care). Part A also pays for some home
health care, hospice care, and inpatient care in a
religious non-medical health care institution.
• Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps cover
medically necessary doctors' services, outpatient care,
home health services, durable medical equipment,
mental health services, and other medical services.
Part B also covers many preventative services.
Other parts of Medicare are run by private insurance
companies that follow rules set by Medicare.
• Medicare Advantage Plan (previously known as Part
C) includes benets and services covered under Part
A and Part B — prescription drugs and additional
benets such as vision, hearing, and dental — bundled
together in 1 plan.
• Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage)
helps cover the cost of prescription drugs.
• Supplemental (Medigap) policies help pay Medicare
out-of-pocket copayment, coinsurance, and deductible
expenses.
For more information, read Medicare (Publication
No. 05-10043).
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When should I apply for Medicare?
If you’re not already receiving benets, you should contact
us about three months before your 65th birthday to sign up
for Medicare. You should sign up for Medicare even if you
don’t plan to retire at age 65 to avoid the late enrollment
penalty.
If you’re already receiving Social Security benets or
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benets, we’ll contact
you a few months before you become eligible for Medicare
and send you information. If you live in one of the 50
states, Washington, D.C., the Northern Mariana Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, we’ll
automatically enroll you in Original Medicare (Parts A and
B). However, because you must pay a premium for Part B
coverage, you can choose to turn it down.
We will not automatically enroll you in a Medicare prescription
drug plan (Part D). Part D is optional, and you must elect this
coverage. For the latest information about Medicare, visit the
website, or call the toll-free number listed below.
Medicare
Website: Medicare.gov
Toll-free number: 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227)
TTY number: 1-877-486-2048
If you don’t enroll in Part B or Part D when you’re 1
st
eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for
as long as you have Part B or Part D coverage. Also, you
may have to wait to enroll, which will delay coverage.
Residents of Puerto Rico or foreign countries won’t
receive Part B automatically. They must elect this benet.
If you’re 65 or older and covered under a group health
plan, either from your own or your spouse’s current
employment, you may be eligible for a Special
Enrollment Period (SEP) to sign up for Medicare Part B.
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This means that you may delay enrollment in Medicare
Part B without the need to wait for a general enrollment
period and paying the penalty for late enrollment.
If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA)
If you have an HSA when you sign up for Medicare,
you can’t contribute to your HSA once your Medicare
coverage begins. If you contribute to your HSA after your
Medicare coverage starts, you may have to pay a tax
penalty. If you’d like to continue your contribution to your
HSA, you shouldn’t apply for Medicare, Social Security, or
RRB benets.
Premium-free Part A coverage begins 6 months before
the date you apply for Medicare (or Social Security/RRB
benets), but no earlier than the 1
st
month you were
eligible for Medicare.
NOTE: To avoid a tax penalty, you should stop your
contribution to HSA at least 6 months before you apply
for Medicare.
“Extra Help” with Medicare prescription
drug costs
If you have limited resources and income, you may qualify
for Extra Help to pay for your prescription drugs under
Medicare Part D. Our role in this program is to:
• Help you understand how you may qualify.
• Help you complete the Extra Help application.
• Process your application.
If you apply for Extra Help, we also will send your
information to your state to start an application for the
Medicare Savings Programs, unless you tell us not to.
To see if you are eligible or to apply, visit our website at
www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help or contact us.
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Help with other Medicare costs
If you have limited income and resources, your state may
pay your Medicare premiums and, in some cases, other
“out-of-pocket” medical expenses, such as deductibles,
copayments, and coinsurance.
Only your state can decide whether you are eligible for
help from the Medicare Savings Programs. For more
information, contact your state medical assistance
(Medicaid) ofce or State Health Insurance Assistance
Program (SHIP). You can look up your state telephone
numbers online at Medicare.gov/talk-to-someone or call
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Contacting Us
There are several ways to contact us, such as online,
by phone, and in person. We’re here to answer your
questions and to serve you. For nearly 90 years, we have
helped secure today and tomorrow by providing benets
and nancial protection for millions of people throughout
their life’s journey.
Visit our website
The most convenient way to conduct business with us is
online at www.ssa.gov. You can accomplish a lot.
• Apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug
plan costs.
• Apply for most types of benets.
• Start or complete your request for an original or
replacement Social Security card.
• Find copies of our publications.
• Get answers to frequently asked questions.
When you create a personal my Social Security account,
you can do even more.
• Review your Social Security Statement.
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• Verify your earnings.
• Get estimates of future benets.
• Print a benet verication letter.
• Change your direct deposit information (Social Security
beneciaries only).
• Get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S.
Access to your personal my Social Security account may
be limited for users outside the United States.
Call us
If you cannot use our online services, we can help you by
phone when you call our National toll-free 800 Number.
We provide free interpreter services upon request.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 — or at our TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing
— between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday. For quicker access to a representative, try calling
early in the day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time)
or later in the day. We are less busy later in the week
(Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month. We
also offer many automated telephone services, available
24 hours a day, so you may not need to speak with a
representative.
If you have documents we need to see, they must be
original or copies that are certied by the issuing agency.
Social Security Administration | Publication No. 05-10035
January 2024 (Recycle prior editions)
Retirement Benefits
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
