What Happens If You Stop Working At 62 But Dont Collect Until Full Retirement Age
If you stop working between the ages of 62 and your full retirement age You can stop working before your full retirement age and receive reduced benefits. Earlier retirement benefits are at the age of 62. If you claim benefits when you reach full retirement age, you will receive the full retirement benefit.
What happens if I retire at the age of 62 but postpone with Social Security? You can start receiving social security benefits at the age of 62, but the amount of the benefit is less than the total amount of your retirement benefit. After the age of 70, the benefit is not increased, even if you postpone starting benefits.
Medicare Enrollment Can Be Impacted By Social Security Benefits
Depending on your situation, you with either need to enroll in Medicare at age 65 or you may be able to delay. If you continue to work past age 65 and have creditable employer coverage , you can likely delay enrolling in Medicare until you lose that employer coverage. In most cases, people turning 65 will need to get Medicare during their 7-month Initial Enrollment Period to avoid financial penalties for enrolling late. Your IEP begins 3 months before the month of your 65th birthday and ends 3 months after.
Social Security benefits fit in the Medicare enrollment journey in one special way. If you are receiving either Social Security benefits for retirement or for disability, or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B when you first become eligible.
Spouses And Social Security
You can claim Social Security benefits based on your spouse’s work record. If claiming spousal benefits provides more, claiming before your FRA on a spouse’s record means you’ll lose even more than claiming on your own recordthe benefit reduction for a spouse is 35% while the reduction for claiming your own benefit is 30%. For instance, if you’re the spouse of Colleen in the above example and you are the same age, you’d be eligible for only $650 a month at age 6235% less than the $1000 a month you would get at your FRA of 67.
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Your decision to take benefits early could outlive you. If you were to die before your spouse, they would be eligible to receive your monthly amount as a survivor benefitif it’s higher than their own amount. But if you take your benefits early, say at age 62 versus waiting until age 70, your spouse’s survivor Social Security benefit could be 30% less for the remainder of their lifetime.
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To Wait Or Not To Wait
Consider taking benefits earlier if . . .
- You are no longer working and can’t make ends meet without your benefits.
- You are in poor health and don’t expect the surviving member of the household to make it to average life expectancy.
- You are the lower-earning spouse, and your higher-earning spouse can wait to file for a higher benefit.
Consider waiting to take benefits if . . .
- You are still working and make enough to impact the taxability of your benefits.
- Either you or your spouse are in good health and expect to exceed average life expectancy.
- You are the higher-earning spouse and want to be sure your surviving spouse receives the highest possible benefit.
What Happens If You Retire Before Full Retirement Age

If a worker begins to receive benefits before his or her normal age, he or she will receive a reduced benefit. An employee can retire at the age of 62, but this can lead to a reduction of up to 30 percent.
How much do you lose if you retire at 65 instead of 66?
65-year-old: 13.3 percent. 66-year-old: 6.7 percent.
What happens to my Social Security if I retire at 55?
The SSA does not punish working retirees forever. You will receive all benefits withheld by the government after reaching full retirement age. At that time, the SSA will recalculate the amount of your benefit.
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At What Age Does The Average Person Retire
Although the average retirement age is 61, most people cannot claim full social security benefits before the age of 67 . In addition, you will not be able to receive Medicare until the age of 65.
What age do most adults retire?
Although the average retirement age is 61, most people cannot claim full social security benefits before the age of 67 . In addition, you will not be able to receive Medicare until the age of 65. Thus, there may be many different definitions of retirement age!
How much does the average person have when they retire?
According to this study by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, the average retirement savings in the United States by age are: 20-year-old Americans: $ 16,000. 30-year-old Americans: $ 45,000. 40-year-old Americans: $ 63,000.
Important Things To Know About Social Security Benefits
Now before we dive into how this may impact Medicare decisions, there are three things to keep in mind.
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Youre Only Working Part Time
If you claim Social Security prior to your full retirement age while still holding down a part-time job, you might have your benefits reduced if your work income exceeds the annual limit. For 2022, if you are under full retirement age, your benefits go down by $1 for every $2 your income exceeds $19,560. If you reach full retirement age in 2022, your benefits go down by $1 for every $3 your income exceeds $51,960 prior to reaching full retirement age. If youre working part-time to help make ends meet, taking Social Security at 62 might make sense.
How To Claim Social Security At 65
If you are eligible for Social Security benefits of any kind, you can apply in several ways. The SSA offers online enrollment through its website, where seniors and their surviving spouses and dependents can download and submit application forms.
Seniors can also apply for Social Security over the phone by calling 772-1213 325-0778). In 2020, Social Security offices may be closed to the general public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, though most offices do remain open for in-person visits by appointment only.
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Are Social Security Benefits Taxable At Full Retirement Age
Your age does not have an impact on whether you will owe tax on Social Security benefits. Depending on your earnings, you may pay federal taxes on Social Security benefits regardless of the age at which you claim.
Social Security benefits are taxed on amounts exceeding the “provisional income” limit set by the IRS. To calculate your provisional income, add up all non-Social Security sources of income, including nontaxable income such as municipal bond interest, and include half of your annual Social Security income.
Single filers earning provisional income between $25,000 and $34,000 and married joint filers earning between $32,000 and $44,000 will owe income taxes on 50% of their Social Security benefits. For single filers with provisional income above $34,000 and married filers above $44,000, up to 85% of Social Security benefits will be taxable.
Early Retirement: Before Age 65
Let’s be honest, leaving your job can have some nice perks. By the time some workers reach their 50s and early 60s, they’re starting to feel burned out, so retiring before the traditional age of 65 can feel invigorating. Men retire at an average age of 64.6 years, while for women, the average retirement age is 62.3 years. So whether it’s traveling, taking up new hobbies, or simply finding a part-time job with less stress, it’s your opportunity to recharge.
Though some research does show that working for longer keeps you healthier and happier, there’s also evidence of the opposing view. The National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, found that “retirement improves both health and life satisfaction,” in part by factoring in the number of people who are forced to retire due to health issues. However, there’s a major caveat here. Relatively few people have the financial resources to support an extended retirement.
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Will You Start Social Security Now Or Later

Take some time to compare starting your Social Security payments at 65 versus waiting a few more years. Your full retirement age is going to be age 66 or later. If you start getting payments before your FRA, you’ll receive a reduced benefit.
If you wait to retire until after your FRA, you’ll receive a higher benefit. How much you get will increase the longer you wait. At age 70, the increase stops, so this is the latest you should hold off on starting your Social Security retirement benefits.
Whether it’s worthwhile to wait depends on your own finances. One thing to think about is that if you’re married, this higher benefit amount becomes the survivor benefit. This can turn into a form of life insurance for the spouse who lives longer.
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How Much Does Social Security Pay At 65
The amount Social Security pays older adults partly depends on the wages a senior earned while working. The amount you get each month is also influenced by the age when you first sign up for retirement benefits. As a rule, your benefits get closer to the federal award cap the more youve earned from work and the later you sign up for a Social Security pension.
Defined Contribution Pension Schemes
These are also known as money purchase schemes. If you’re a member of a personal pension, stakeholder pension or workplace money purchase scheme, the main points to remember are that
- you’ve had fewer years to pay in, so your pension fund will be smaller
- your pension fund will need to provide you with an income over a longer period, so the pension you get will be smaller
If you’re retiring early due to an illness that’s likely to effect your life expectancy, then some providers may boost your pension.
Example
If you started paying into your pension at age 35 with a life expectancy of 85 then:
- if you retire at 55 the fund built up over 20 years must last 30 years
- if you retire at 65 the fund built up over 30 years must last 20 years
If you’re retiring early due to an illness that’s likely to affect your life expectancy, then some providers may boost your pension.
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Planning To Retire At 65 What You Need To Consider
For many Aussies, blowing out the birthday candles when they hit age 65 means its retirement time or close to it.
If thats your plan, its important to ensure you understand the rules on accessing your super, how big your nest egg needs to be, the tax you might pay and any financial assistance you may be eligible for.
To help you take the leap into life after work, SuperGuide has put together a list of common questions asked by people retiring at age 65.
What’s Full Retirement Age
Full retirement age is when you’re eligible to receive full Social Security benefits. Your full retirement age depends on your birth year: For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. For those born in 1955 through to the end of 1959 , full retirement age ranges between 66 and 2 months and 66 and 10 months. If you were born before 1955, you’ve already reached age 66 and full retirement age.
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Types Of Social Security Benefits
The most widely known benefit the SSA administers is the retirement pension system. More than 64 million older adults receive a monthly payment from this program, and for many people it’s the main or even sole source of support after retirement. Beneficiaries generally become eligible for Social Security pensions at age 62, though the monthly award amount is higher for seniors who delay their retirement age, with the maximum benefit being available at age 67.
If you are the widowed spouse or dependent child of a Social Security recipient, you might be eligible for benefits yourself. The SSA pays tens of millions of Americans a monthly benefit based on their relationship to a formerly eligible beneficiary who has passed away. Speak with an SSA worker to determine whether you are eligible for a survivors pension or similar benefit.
Many Americans with physical or cognitive disabilities receive Social Security benefits as part of a national disability support program. The amount this pays, along with any other conditions on cash support, vary on a case-by-case basis. Likewise, people with very low income may be eligible for the SSAs low-income support program. Together, these programs are known as SSDI/SSI. Ask a program worker about how these benefits may help you or someone you care for.
Can I Start A Transition
A transition-to-retirement income stream is a pension paid to you from the money you have saved in your super account while you are still working. In some circumstances it can be a good way to scale back your working hours and start enjoying your retirement without reducing your income.
If youre aged 65 and over, there are no restrictions on the amount of super you can withdraw even if youre still working, so rather than set up a TTR pension, most people choose to start a normal super pension or income stream.
Need to know: Since 1 July 2017, the investment returns on the assets underlying a TTR pension are taxed at 15%, just as they are in a super accumulation account. Previously these investment returns were tax free.
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Do I Still Get A State Pension If I Continue Working
The State Pension age is the earliest age you can claim the State Pension.
As you approach State Pension age, youll be given a choice whether to claim or delay your State Pension payments. You can still claim your State Pension while youre working but you may wish to defer it, which can have some financial benefits.
Your private or workplace pension scheme may have an earlier age where you can start receiving your pension , even while youre working. Schemes vary so ask your fund or employer about how your pension is affected if you change your work arrangements or continue working beyond State Pension age.
What Happens If You Start Collecting Social Security At 62

You can start receiving social security benefits at the age of 62. However, you are entitled to a full retirement age when you reach full retirement age. If you start receiving benefits early, your benefits will be reduced by a small percentage each month before your full retirement age.
Can I claim Social Security at age 63?
For the sake of clarity, you are allowed to apply for social security at the age of 63. In fact, you can do this as early as age 62, and its no surprise that this is the most popular age for claiming benefits. If you were to claim social security at the age of 63 and a full retirement age of 66, you would lose about 20% of your monthly benefit.
How much Social Security does a 63 year old get?
Monthly social security contributions are reduced if you register at the age of 63, but less than if you apply for payments at the age of 62. An employee who earns $ 1,000 a month at age 66 would receive $ 800 a month at age 63, which is 20% of their salary. If your full retirement age is 67, you will receive 25% less when you register at the age of 63.
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You Need To Pay Down Debt
There are some debts you need to tackle before you retire. If you have high-interest debt, claiming Social Security early can help you pay the debt down. Depending on the interest rate youre paying, the 8% yearly boost to your benefits that you receive for each year you wait past full retirement age might not be worth the increased monthly benefit. Using the early benefits to reduce or eliminate your debt earlier could mean youll be able to keep more of your benefits in the future.
Can I Get A State Seniors Card If I Retire At 65
Congratulations, if you retire at age 65 you may be eligible for a state Seniors Card in the state or territory where you live.
Briefly, the eligibility requirements in each state and territory in relation to your age are:
State | Eligible age for Seniors Card |
Australian Capital Territory | |
60 or over with government concession card65 or over without government concession card | |
South Australia |
Note: Residency and work test rules also apply when you apply for a Seniors Card.
Learn about your states Seniors Card.
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