When you are hoping to get the maximum benefits possible, the question of whether or not to delay claiming Social Security payments becomes imperative. The benefit amount can vary depending on if you retire early or wait until age 70.
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According to the Social Security Administration, or SSA, the average monthly retirement benefit for Social Security recipients is currently about $1,976 in 2025. Several factors can drag that average up or down, but you have the most control over the biggest variable of all — the age that you decide to cash in.
For comparison, below is a chart for general assessments of Social Security benefits:
| Type of beneficiary | Average monthly benefit |
| All recipients | $1,976 |
| Retirement benefits | $1,872.09 |
| Retired workers | $1,920.48 |
| Survivor benefits | $1,509.36 |
| Nondisabled widow(er)s | $1,784.56 |
| Disability insurance | $1,402.69 |
| Disabled workers | $1,539.92 |
You become eligible for Social Security if you retire at age 62, but you’ll receive a reduced monthly payment by claiming benefits before your full retirement age (FRA), which varies by your date of birth. The average retired worker receives $1,920.48 each month, which is on par with Social Security recipients as a whole.
Here’s a breakdown of how the average monthly Social Security checks and benefits could change depending on when you decide to collect.
The Payments Grow With Every Month You Wait
Someone turning 62 and becoming eligible for Social Security today, however, the full retirement age is 67. Keep in mind that the average can fluctuate from month to month, but if you round up the current average benefit to $1,976 (as of January 2025) and presume that as the full benefit, here’s how a hypothetical recipient’s payment would change between the start of eligibility and full retirement age.
Retirement Age: 62 Years Old
If people born after 1960 claim their benefits the month that they turn 62, they’ll get only 70% of what they would have received had they waited until the full retirement age of 67. The average monthly payment of $1,976 drops by 30% during the first month of eligibility to $1,383.20. Here’s the dollar amount, and the percentage of the full benefit it represents, for every month they wait after that.
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62 + 1 month: $1,391.10 (70.4%)
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62 + 2 months: $1,399.01 (70.8%)
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62 + 3 months: $1,408.89 (71.3%)
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62 + 4 months: $1,416.79 (71.7%)
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62 + 5 months: $1,424.70 (72.1%)
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62 + 6 months: $1,432.60 (72.5%)
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62 + 7 months: $1,440.50 (72.9%)
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62 + 8 months: $1,448.41 (73.3%)
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62 + 9 months: $1,458.29 (73.8%)
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62 + 10 months: $1,466.19 (74.2%)
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62 + 11 months: $1,474.10 (74.6%)