When Did the Retirement Age Change to 67?
by Mark Briggs - August 2025
If you've been wondering "when did the retirement age change to 67?", the answer begins with the Social Security Amendments of 1983.
The law gradually increased the Social Security full retirement age (FRA) from 65 to 67 for later birth cohorts. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67. However, the change was phased in over several decades rather than happening all at once.
Understanding this history matters because your full retirement age affects how much you receive if you claim Social Security before or after that age. It can therefore have a significant impact on your retirement income strategy.
The Original Retirement Age: 65
When the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, the retirement age for unreduced Social Security retirement benefits was set at 65.
Social Security has changed considerably since then. Workers have been able to claim retirement benefits before their full retirement age for many decades, although claiming early results in a permanently reduced monthly benefit.
Early retirement benefits became available to women at age 62 in 1956 and to men at age 62 in 1961. Today, eligible workers can generally begin retirement benefits at age 62, regardless of whether their full retirement age is 65, 66, or 67.
The important distinction is that age 62 is the earliest claiming age, not the full retirement age.
The 1983 Social Security Amendments
By the early 1980s, Social Security faced significant financing challenges. In 1983, Congress enacted a major package of Social Security changes following recommendations from the National Commission on Social Security Reform.
The legislation included several changes affecting Social Security's finances. Among them was a gradual increase in the age at which workers could receive unreduced retirement benefits.
Rather than immediately changing everyone's retirement age from 65 to 67, the law phased in the increase for workers born in 1938 and later. The increase eventually reached age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
The change was intended in part to recognize longer life spans and improve Social Security's long-term financial position. It was one part of a much broader package that also included changes to payroll taxes and benefit taxation.
Phase-In of the Retirement Age Increase
The increase from 65 to 67 was phased in according to birth year. The current Social Security Administration schedule is:
| Birth Year | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1937 or earlier | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 1943–1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 or later | 67 |
For example, someone born in 1956 has a full retirement age of 66 years and 4 months. Someone born in 1959 has an FRA of 66 years and 10 months. Anyone born in 1960 or later has an FRA of 67.
Why Did the Retirement Age Change to 67?
There were several factors behind the decision to gradually increase the full retirement age.
Longer Life Expectancy
People were living longer than when Social Security was first established. The 1983 legislation specifically recognized improvements in longevity when it increased the age for unreduced retirement benefits.
Social Security's Financial Position
The 1983 reforms were intended to address Social Security's financial problems through a combination of revenue increases and benefit changes.
The full retirement age increase was therefore not simply a decision to make people work longer. It was one component of a larger effort to improve the program's finances.
Changing Demographics
Social Security is affected by the relationship between workers paying payroll taxes and people receiving benefits. Changes in birth rates, longevity, and the size of the retired population all influence that relationship.
Who Is Affected by the Change?
The increase affects workers born after 1937, although the effect varies depending on the year of birth.
People born between 1943 and 1954 have an FRA of 66. Those born from 1955 through 1959 have gradually increasing FRAs between 66 and 67. People born in 1960 or later have an FRA of 67.
This distinction is important because full retirement age is not necessarily the age at which you retire from work. You can retire earlier or later and choose when to claim Social Security, subject to the program's eligibility rules.
How Does an FRA of 67 Affect Social Security Benefits?
If your full retirement age is 67, you can begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but your monthly benefit is permanently reduced.
For someone with an FRA of 67, claiming at age 62 results in a benefit equal to approximately 70% of the full retirement benefit—a reduction of up to 30%.
The reduction is different for people whose full retirement age is lower. For example, someone with an FRA of 65 who claimed at 62 faced a smaller reduction than someone with an FRA of 67.
This is one reason the increase in full retirement age has an important effect on retirement planning: the age at which you can first claim benefits has remained 62, while the age for an unreduced benefit has gradually increased.
What Happens If You Delay Social Security Past 67?
Waiting beyond full retirement age can increase your monthly Social Security benefit.
For people born in 1943 or later, delayed retirement credits generally increase the retirement benefit by 8% for each full year of delay between full retirement age and age 70.
For someone born in 1960 or later, whose FRA is 67, starting at age 70 produces a benefit equal to 124% of the full retirement benefit. Benefits do not continue increasing after age 70.
Delaying Social Security is not automatically the right decision for everyone. Your health, longevity expectations, other retirement income, tax situation, spouse's benefits, and need for cash flow can all affect the decision.
Is the Retirement Age Going Up Again?
Proposals to change Social Security's retirement age have been discussed periodically, but the current full retirement age remains 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
Future legislation could change Social Security's rules, but it would be inappropriate to assume that a future proposal will become law. For retirement planning purposes, it makes sense to understand the rules currently in effect while also recognizing that Social Security policy can change.
The program's finances remain an important issue. In its 2026 Trustees Report, the Social Security Administration projected that the combined OASI and DI trust fund reserves would be depleted in 2034 under current law, at which point incoming revenue would be sufficient to pay about 83% of scheduled benefits. This is a projection, not a prediction that benefits will automatically be cut to that level; Congress could change taxes, benefits, or other program rules before then.
How Should You Plan Around a Retirement Age of 67?
The most useful approach is to avoid treating Social Security as your entire retirement plan. Instead, consider how Social Security fits together with your other income sources and assets.
Compare Different Claiming Ages
Consider how your retirement income changes if you claim Social Security at 62, your full retirement age, or a later age.
Build a Bridge to Social Security
If you want to delay Social Security, you may need other income sources to cover your expenses during the years before claiming. Retirement savings, pensions, employment income, or other assets can potentially provide that bridge.
Consider Taxes
Your Social Security claiming decision can interact with withdrawals from retirement accounts and other taxable income. Looking at the entire retirement-income picture can be more useful than considering Social Security in isolation.
Plan for Healthcare
Reaching full retirement age is not the same thing as becoming eligible for Medicare. Medicare eligibility generally remains at age 65, so someone delaying Social Security should still pay attention to Medicare enrollment requirements.
Tools such as the Retirementize retirement calculator can help you model different retirement ages, income sources, savings, taxes, and other assumptions together.
Fun Facts
- The Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, when the retirement age for unreduced retirement benefits was 65.
- The 1983 amendments did not immediately make the full retirement age 67. The increase was deliberately phased in over multiple birth cohorts.
- The earliest age at which eligible workers can generally claim Social Security retirement benefits remains 62.
- For someone born in 1960 or later, claiming at 62 can provide about 70% of the full retirement benefit, while waiting until 70 can provide 124%.
- The average monthly Social Security benefit for retired workers was about $1,979 in January 2025. Individual benefits vary substantially based on a worker's earnings history and claiming age.
Conclusion
So, when did the retirement age change to 67?
The change began with the Social Security Amendments of 1983. Rather than immediately moving everyone from 65 to 67, the law gradually increased the full retirement age for successive birth cohorts. The increase eventually reached age 67 for people born in 1960 and later.
Today, understanding your full retirement age is an important part of retirement planning. It affects the amount of Social Security you receive if you claim early, the benefit available if you wait, and how Social Security fits into your broader retirement-income strategy.
The goal isn't simply to determine the age at which you should retire. It's to understand how your Social Security benefit interacts with your savings, pensions, taxes, housing costs, and other sources of retirement income.
Use the Retirementize retirement calculator to explore different retirement scenarios and see how changing your retirement and income assumptions can affect your overall plan.
