If you would like to receive monthly payments from Social Security in 2025, you must meet some key requirements. These conditions are mandatory, but there is some flexibility when it comes to the age you file for retirement as long as you are at least 62 years old.
Some workers who get Social Security Disability Insurance may collect payments before turning 62, but because of a qualifying disability, they have. In general, you will need 40 work credits to get retirement benefit payments in the United States.
Maximum Social Security payment at 62
The largest Social Security payment at 62 will be $2,831 in 2025. However, this is only possible if you:
- have worked for at least 35 years
- have had jobs covered by SSA and paid enough payroll taxes
- earned the taxable maximum (35 years too)
- filed at 62
Even if this seems to be a huge check, filing for retirement benefits at the age of 62 means getting less money. The Administration will reduce benefits by about 30% for those who choose early filing at 62.
Maximum Social Security payments at Full Retirement Age & at 70
If you reach Full Retirement Age in 2025, you can get up to $4,018 from Social Security. The Full Retirement Age varies from one person to another because it depends on the year you were born.
For example, if you were born in 1960 or later, your Full Retirement Age is 67. If you turn 70 in 2025, you can receive the largest Social Security payment retirees can get this year.
As a matter of fact, the Social Security Administration claims that a 70-year-old can get up to $5,108 in 2025. The requirements are the same as for those explained at age 62, but they only difference is the age you file.
On average, retirement benefit payments tend to be much lower. Thus, these maximum amounts are only for those who were high earners for 35 years or more. The average check as of January 2025 is just $1,976.
What are the benefits of delaying Social Security benefits past age 62?
Although each individual’s situation is unique, here are the primary benefits of waiting beyond the earliest eligibility age:
Higher Monthly Payments
- If you begin collecting benefits at age 62, your monthly check is typically reduced by a certain percentage for each month before your full retirement age (FRA).
- By waiting until your FRA (which is between 66 and 67, depending on your birth year), you receive 100% of your primary insurance amount.
- For each year you delay beyond your FRA—up to age 70—your benefit may increase by approximately 8% per year, leading to a substantially higher monthly payment.
Greater Lifetime Benefits (If You Live Longer)
- While starting benefits early increases the total number of payments you receive, delaying Social Security until FRA or age 70 often produces a higher overall benefit if you have a longer-than-average life expectancy.
- Break-even analyses often suggest that you can come out ahead if you live into your mid-80s or beyond.
Larger Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs)
- COLAs apply a percentage increase to your benefit amount to keep pace with inflation.
- By delaying your claim, the annual COLA is calculated on a larger base amount, which can magnify the dollar increases over time.
Potentially Higher Survivor Benefits
- If you are married, delaying your own benefit can increase the survivor benefit for your spouse should you pass away first.
- The surviving spouse can receive the higher monthly benefit amount that you had been receiving, which can be more financially secure for them.
