Starting January 1, 2026, people born in 1960 or later will have to wait until age 67 to receive 100% of their pension. monthly Social Security benefit.
This is established by a federal law passed in 1983, which mandated a gradual increase in the full retirement age. This adjustment aims to address the increase in life expectancy and guarantee the sustainability of the system.
The change will be final starting next year: 2026.
Until now, people could retire with full benefits between ages 65 and 66 years and 10 months, depending on their date of birth.
Under the new rule, everyone born since 1960 must reach age 67 to avoid cuts to their monthly check. This change affects millions of workers, especially those who planned to retire before that age.
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What is “full retirement age”?
“Full retirement age” is the point at which a person can retire and receive 100% of the amount due for their working years.
If someone decides to retire before reaching that age, they can begin collecting the benefit at age 62, but with a permanent reduction in the monthly amount.
For example, a person born in 1960 who retires at age 62 will receive approximately 70% of the full benefit. This reduction is applied permanently.
However, if that same person decides to wait until age 70, their monthly benefit can increase by about 8% for each additional year worked after age 67.
| If the date of birth is… | The normal retirement age is… |
|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | 1938 al 01 | 01 | 1939 | 65 years and 2 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1939 al 01 | 01 | 1940 | 65 years and 4 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1940 al 01 | 01 | 1941 | 65 years and 6 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1941 al 01 | 01 | 1942 | 65 years and 8 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1942 al 01 | 01 | 1943 | 65 years and 10 months |
| 02 | 01/1943 al 01 | 01 | 1955 | 66 years in the Making |
| 02 | 01 | 1955 al 01 | 01 | 1956 | 66 years and 2 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1956 al 01 | 01 | 1957 | 66 years and 4 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1957 al 01 | 01 | 1958 | 66 years and 6 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1958 al 01 | 01 | 1959 | 66 years and 8 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1959 al 01 | 01 | 1960 | 66 years and 10 months |
| 02 | 01 | 1960 onwards | 67 years in the Making |
How do you qualify for Social Security retirement?
Not everyone who lives or works in the United States is automatically eligible for the benefit. To qualify, you must:
- Having a Social Security Number (SSN) valid.
- Have worked and paid Social Security taxes for At least 10 years , which is equivalent to accumulating 40 work credits .
Unregistered jobs or jobs that don't contribute to the system don't count toward credits. Furthermore, declared income must have been subject to Social Security taxes to be considered valid.
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What changes from 2026?
The key modification is that The minimum age to receive 100% of the benefit will be 67 years for all people born since 1960. This marks the end of the transition period that began decades ago, which gradually increased the full retirement age. There will be no more exceptions.
The change does not affect the possibility of retiring at age 62, but those who do so will receive less money each month. For this reason, financial planning specialists recommend carefully evaluating when to apply for the benefit, considering factors such as health, employment status, and personal savings.
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Where to get information?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers online tools to check your work history, verify your credits, and estimate your monthly benefit based on your chosen retirement age. Information is available in Spanish on the official website: www.ssa.gov.
Planning ahead and understanding the rules can make a big difference in financial security in old age. The change, which will be implemented in 2026, is definitive and will impact millions of people approaching retirement age today.
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