When Should a Veteran Claim Social Security?

Choosing when to start Social Security is one of the biggest money decisions a veteran makes. You can start as early as age 62, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) says it "will reduce your benefits by as much as 30%" if you do. Wait past full retirement age and your check grows. SSA adds, "These adjustments are permanent." This guide explains the official rules, the extra earnings credits many veterans earned in uniform, and how the choice can affect a surviving spouse.

Key Takeaways

• You can start retirement benefits at 62, but SSA says the reduction can be as much as 30%. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67.
• For each full year you wait past full retirement age, SSA adds 8% to your benefit, up to age 70.
• Military service from 1957 through 2001 may have earned you extra Social Security wage credits. There are no special extra credits for service after 2001.
• SSA says your military pension "does not affect your Social Security benefits."
• If you claim early and keep working, SSA may withhold benefits when earnings pass $24,480 in 2026.
• A surviving spouse at full retirement age can receive up to 100% of the deceased worker's benefit, so the claiming age can matter to the whole family.

Table of Contents

• The Three Main Claiming Ages
• Extra Credit for Military Service
• Working While You Collect
• Your Spouse and Survivors
• Steps to Make Your Claiming Decision
• Ask the Navigator
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sources

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The Three Main Claiming Ages

SSA lets you choose when to start. Most people think about three ages: 62, full retirement age, and 70. The month you pick sets your monthly amount for life, apart from yearly cost-of-living raises.

Age 62: the earliest start

SSA says, "You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefit as early as age 62. But we will reduce your benefits by as much as 30%." SSA's 2026 retirement booklet gives a clear example: "If you turn age 62 in 2026, your benefit would be about 30% lower than it would be at your full retirement age of 67."

Full retirement age: your full benefit

SSA states, "For anyone born 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67." At that age you get your full benefit, with no early-claiming cut. For 2026, SSA lists the maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age as $4,152 a month. Most people get less. SSA estimates the average retired worker benefit at $2,071 a month after the January 2026 raise.

Age 70: the largest check

For people born in 1943 or later, SSA adds delayed retirement credits of 8% for each full year you wait past full retirement age. That is 2/3 of 1% for each month. The credits stop at age 70, so there is no gain in waiting beyond that.

The yearly raise

Benefits get a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). SSA announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026. This raise applies whether you claimed early or late.

Extra Credit for Military Service

Many veterans do not know that their time in uniform may have added to their Social Security record. SSA explains that "Earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957."

Special extra earnings credits

• 1957 through 1977: SSA credits "$300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which you received active-duty basic pay."
• 1978 through 2001: "For every $300 in active-duty basic pay, you're credited with an additional $100 in earnings up to a maximum of $1,200 a year."
• After 2001: SSA says, "After 2001, there are no special extra earnings credits for military service."

SSA notes these extra earnings are added to the lifetime earnings it averages, "not directly to your monthly benefit amount." SSA also notes that people who enlisted after September 7, 1980, and did not complete at least 24 months of active duty or their full tour may not qualify.

Service from 1940 through 1956

SSA says veterans who served from 1940 through 1956 may get "$160 a month in earnings for military service" added to their record, if they were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable after 90 or more days of service. SSA allows less than 90 days if the release was because of a disability or injury received in the line of duty.

Military retirement does not reduce Social Security

SSA is direct: "Your military pension does not affect your Social Security benefits. You'll get your full Social Security benefit based on your earnings." SSA's military service booklet adds, "You can get both Social Security benefits and military retirement benefits." For how VA disability and Social Security disability interact, see our guide on VA disability and Social Security disability together.

Have your DD-214 ready

SSA says, "When you apply for Social Security benefits, you'll be asked for proof of your military service (DD Form 214)."

Working While You Collect

Some veterans claim early and keep working. SSA has an earnings test for people who have not yet reached full retirement age.

2026 earnings limits

• Under full retirement age all year: $24,480 a year ($2,040 a month). SSA deducts "$1 in benefits for each $2 you earn above the annual limit."
• The year you reach full retirement age: $65,160 a year ($5,430 a month). SSA deducts "$1 for every $3 you earn over an annual limit."
• At full retirement age and beyond: No reduction, no matter how much you earn.

The special monthly rule

In the first year you retire, SSA can use a monthly test. It can pay a full benefit for any month your earnings stay under the monthly limit and you do not perform "substantial services in self-employment." SSA generally defines that as more than 45 hours a month in a business, or 15 to 45 hours in a highly skilled job.

Your Spouse and Survivors

Your claiming age is not only about you. It can shape what your spouse gets now and later. This is where Social Security becomes part of your legacy.

Spouse benefits

SSA says an eligible spouse can receive "up to half of a retired worker's full benefits" at the spouse's own full retirement age.

Survivor benefits

SSA says a surviving spouse at full retirement age can get up to 100% of the deceased worker's benefit amount. A surviving spouse can start as early as 60, but payments "start at 71.5% of your spouse's benefit and increase the longer you wait to apply." Because the survivor amount is tied to the worker's benefit, many couples look closely at which spouse has the larger check before choosing a claiming age.

Steps to Make Your Claiming Decision

Here is a common order of steps. It is educational only; the right age depends on each person's health, family, and finances.

1. Open a my Social Security account. SSA recommends its online tool to estimate your benefit at different claiming ages.
2. Check your earnings record. Make sure your military years show up. Service from 1957 to 1967 may need to be added when you apply, according to SSA.
3. Find your full retirement age. It is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
4. Compare 62, full retirement age, and 70. Note the up-to-30% early cut and the 8% per year delayed credit.
5. Think about your spouse. Look at spouse benefits (up to half) and survivor benefits (up to 100% at full retirement age).
6. Check the earnings test if you will keep working. The 2026 limit is $24,480 if you are under full retirement age all year.
7. Apply on time. SSA says you "can apply up to four months before you want your retirement benefits to start." Have your DD-214 ready.

Ask the Navigator

Have a question about Social Security, your military service credits, or how your choice affects your spouse? Ask AVOY Veteran Navigator AI™ at avoyvet.com. Then take the free Veteran Legacy Checklist to see how Social Security fits into your family's full plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the earliest age a veteran can claim Social Security retirement?

Age 62, the same as everyone else. SSA says starting at 62 reduces benefits by as much as 30%.

Does my military retirement pay lower my Social Security?

No. SSA says, "Your military pension does not affect your Social Security benefits."

Did my military service earn extra Social Security credit?

Possibly. Active-duty service from 1957 through 2001 may have earned special extra earnings credits. Service from 1940 through 1956 may qualify for $160 a month in earnings credit. There are no special extra credits after 2001.

How much more do I get if I wait until 70?

For people born in 1943 or later, SSA adds 8% for each full year you wait past full retirement age, up to age 70.

When should I sign up for Medicare?

SSA says to contact it "at least three months before your 65th birthday to sign up for Medicare," even if you are not starting Social Security yet.

Sources

• At what age should I start receiving my Social Security retirement benefits? — SSA.gov
• Retirement Benefits (2026) — SSA.gov
• Benefits Planner: Delayed Retirement Credits — SSA.gov
• 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet — SSA.gov
• Benefits Planner: Special Earnings Limit Rule — SSA.gov
• Military Service and Social Security (2026) — SSA.gov
• Benefits Planner: Special Extra Earnings for Military Service — SSA.gov
• Benefits Planner: Veterans — SSA.gov
• What you could get from Survivor benefits — SSA.gov
• Who can get Survivor benefits — SSA.gov

Educational information only — not legal, tax, financial, or medical advice, and not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Estate and probate rules vary by state; an estate attorney in your state can confirm what applies. For VA benefits help, contact a VA-accredited VSO (often free), claims agent, or attorney.