Full retirement age explained
By Dexaloop · Updated 27 October 2026 · Checked against the sources listed below
US full retirement age, the age at which Social Security pays your retirement benefit without reduction, depends on your birth year: it reaches 67 for people born from January 2, 1960, after decades at 65. In the UK, the equivalent marker is State Pension age, which is moving from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. This guide explains why the US age moved, how the birth-date bands and the January 1 rule work, how the early and late percentages are built from the regulations, a survivor rule many people miss, and the UK timetable. It is general information checked against US federal regulations, an SSA chart and GOV.UK on 27 October 2026, not financial advice.
US: what the age is for
Full retirement age (FRA) is the yardstick for every Social Security retirement calculation. The regulation, 20 CFR 404.409, states: "You may receive unreduced old-age, wife's, or husband's benefits beginning with the month you attain the age shown." Claim earlier and the monthly amount is cut; claim later and it grows. Every percentage is counted in months before or after FRA.
US: how 65 became 67
The same regulation gives the history in one line: "Full retirement age has been 65 but is being gradually raised to age 67 beginning with people born after January 1, 1938." The rise came in two waves, with a long pause in the middle:
| Phase | Born (regulation's bands) | Full retirement age |
|---|---|---|
| Original age | Before January 2, 1938 | 65 |
| First rise | January 2, 1938 to January 1, 1943 | 65 and 2 months, up to 65 and 10 months |
| Plateau | January 2, 1943 to January 1, 1955 | 66 |
| Second rise | January 2, 1955 to January 1, 1960 | 66 and 2 months, up to 66 and 10 months |
| Current end point | January 2, 1960 or later | 67 |
Each rising year adds two months, so it takes six birth years to climb a full year of age. Anyone told that "retirement age is 65" is quoting a rule that applies only to people born before January 2, 1938.
Why bands start on January 2
Notice the bands run from January 2 to January 1. SSA's chart explains the practical effect in a footnote: "If you were born on January 1st of any year, you should refer to the previous year." So a January 1, 1960 birthday falls in the 1959 band, with an FRA of 66 and 10 months. The chart applies the same idea within each month: someone born on the 1st is treated as having a birthday in the month before.
Survivors have their own table
A point that catches people out: 20 CFR 404.409 has a second table for widow's and widower's benefits, and it runs two years behind. A survivor born from January 2, 1960 to January 1, 1961 has a full retirement age of 66 and 8 months, and the survivor table reaches 67 only for people born on January 2, 1962 or later. If you are claiming as a survivor, do not use the retirement chart.
US: building the early and late percentages
Early. 20 CFR 404.410 sets the cut: "The reduction is 5/9 of 1 percent for each of the first 36 months and 5/12 of 1 percent for each month in excess of 36." The first claim can be at 62; 20 CFR 404.310 requires that "You are at least 62 years old."
Late. 20 CFR 404.313 gives people born after January 1, 1943 a delayed retirement credit of 2/3 of 1% for each month past FRA, 8% for a full year, until age 70.
Worked example: born June 10, 1962
- FRA is 67, reached in June 2029.
- Claiming at 62 is 60 months early.
- The first 36 months cost 36 x 5/9 of 1% = 20%. The other 24 cost 24 x 5/12 of 1% = 10%. Together 30%, so the benefit is 70% of the full amount.
- Waiting to 70 is 36 months late: 36 x 2/3 of 1% = 24%, giving 124% of the full amount.
| FRA | Months from 62 to FRA | Reduction at 62 | Months from FRA to 70 | Result at 70 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 48 | 25% | 48 | 132% |
| 66 and 10 months | 58 | 29.17% | 38 | 125.33% |
| 67 | 60 | 30% | 36 | 124% |
These are percentages of your own full benefit, which SSA works out from your earnings record. This guide does not estimate amounts or suggest when to claim; that depends on your health, work and family.
UK: State Pension age
The UK system is separate and simpler in one way: there is no early, reduced claim. GOV.UK describes State Pension age as "the earliest age you can start receiving your State Pension." The age depends on your exact date of birth, and GOV.UK's timetable says it "will increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028."
| State Pension age | For people born |
|---|---|
| 66 | from 6 October 1954 up to 5 April 1960 |
| 66 plus 1 to 11 months, one month more per birth month | from 6 April 1960 up to 5 March 1961 |
| 67 | from 6 March 1961 up to 5 April 1977 |
| A set date between 6 May 2044 and 6 March 2046 | from 6 April 1977 up to 5 April 1978 |
| 68 | on or after 6 April 1978 |
Worked example: born 15 August 1960
The timetable row covering 6 August to 5 September 1960 gives 66 years and 5 months. Add 66 years to 15 August 1960 to reach 15 August 2026, then 5 months to reach 15 January 2027. That is the date State Pension age is reached. Where the target month is too short for the birth day, as with a birthday on the 31st, GOV.UK uses the month's last day.
Later changes
The timetable notes that under the Pensions Act 2007 the age "will increase from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046." GOV.UK's checker also warns that State Pension age "is regularly reviewed". Treat the dates for people born from 1977 onward as current law that could change.
Common misunderstandings
- "Everyone retires at 65." In the US it applies only to people born before January 2, 1938; in the UK the age is now above 65.
- Using the calendar year for a January 1 birthday. It belongs to the previous year's band.
- Using the retirement chart for a survivor benefit. Survivors have a separate table.
- Thinking FRA is the earliest US claim. You can start at 62, with a permanent reduction.
- Expecting credits after 70. They stop at 70.
- Mixing the two countries. US and UK rules are unrelated.
To see the date that applies to you, the calculator below reads the US chart or the UK timetable for your exact date of birth. For benefit amounts, go to SSA or GOV.UK directly.
Find your retirement age: tools.dexaloop.com/retirement-age-calculator/. Free, no sign-up, and it runs on your device.
Questions
Was full retirement age always 67?
No. 20 CFR 404.409 says it has been 65 but is being gradually raised to age 67 beginning with people born after January 1, 1938. It rose in two-month steps, paused at 66, then rose again to 67.
Is full retirement age the same for widows and widowers?
No. The regulation has a separate table for survivor benefits, which runs two years later. A survivor born on January 2, 1960 through January 1, 1961, for example, has a full retirement age of 66 and 8 months.
Why is the early-claiming cut not a flat percentage per year?
20 CFR 404.410 uses two monthly rates: 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months early and 5/12 of 1% for each month beyond that. The first three years cost more per month than later ones.
Do delayed retirement credits keep growing after 70?
No. Under 20 CFR 404.313 the credits stop at age 70, so waiting longer adds nothing to the monthly amount.
Is the UK State Pension age the earliest I can claim?
Yes. GOV.UK describes it as the earliest age you can start receiving your State Pension, so there is no early, reduced claim like the US age-62 option.
Sources
- Social Security Administration (Ticket to Work): Find your full or normal retirement age (PDF)
- 20 CFR 404.409: What is full retirement age? (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
- 20 CFR 404.410: How does SSA reduce my benefits when my entitlement begins before full retirement age?
- 20 CFR 404.310: Who is entitled to retirement insurance benefits? (age 62)
- 20 CFR 404.313: What are delayed retirement credits?
- GOV.UK: State Pension age timetable
- GOV.UK: Check your State Pension age
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check the official source for your own case. Found a mistake? Email support@dexaloop.com.