Question: I am turning 65 this coming August and wondering: should I sign up for Social Security?

Answer: You become eligible to file for Social Security Benefits when you are 62, and this is considered early retirement. For those born in 1960 and after, Full Retirement Age (FRA) for Social Security Benefits is 67. How much you receive is based on your work history, using the best 35 years of earnings and when you file for your benefits. As you are working throughout your life, your wages and taxes are put into the Social Security Administration (SSA) System. This earnings record is then used to determine the amount you receive each month, once you file for Social Security Benefits. If you begin collecting Early Retirement Benefits (as early as age 62) you will receive less of a payment each month, but potentially more months of payments over your lifetime. If you wait until Full Retirement Age (FRA) you will collect the full amount based on your work history. If you do not collect until sometime after FRA you will collect a higher monthly payment.

You can also continue to work and collect SSA benefits. There are earnings limits to be considered. If under FRA, as you are now, there is an earnings limit in 2026 of $24,480 which calculates to $2,040 per month. If you are working while collecting SSA early retirement benefits, and you earn more than $24,480, ($2,040 monthly) your SSA benefits will be reduced by $1 for each $2 you earn above that amount. In the January of the year you reach FRA (for you is 2028) the earnings limit changes to $65,160 and your SSA benefits will be reduced by $1 for each $3 you earn. During this period of time, remember the only months that count for you are the months before your birthday month (so for you, that’s January through July). Once you reach FRA, you can work and collect SSA benefits with no limit on your earnings.

I advise individuals to use the SSA tools throughout their lives to review and determine your benefit amounts and when would be the best time to begin collecting Social Security. SSA staff are very good at explaining how YOUR numbers impact your filing decision. The website is also useful to track your numbers and how they can impact your decision on when it is best to collect Social Security Benefits.

Anyone under 62 can and should keep track of their situation with SSA. Anyone can check their work history against the SSA record, to ensure wages were collected into their system and in the correct amounts. Upon request or through the website, SSA will send a report called “Your Social Security Statement – this report includes general information on Social Security and will include individual information on Your Estimated Benefits, Your Earnings Record and Social Security & Medicare Taxes paid by you and your employer.

To collect Social Security, you must “file a claim” with the SSA. This contact with SSA can be via phone call, going to the local SSA office, or using the www.ssa.gov website. If you are comfortable with using the computer, the website might be a useful tool for you to use now and in the future. The ssa.gov website allows you to create your own secure login at the www.SSA.gov/myaccount/ to access your own data. This login and password will enable you to return to this site anytime you wish in the future, including filing for Social Security benefits.

Without a computer you may contact SSA via their national number at 1-800-772-1213 or locally, Jamestown at 1-877-319-3079 (321 Hazeltine Ave. Jamestown), or Dunkirk at 1-888-862-2139 (437 Main St. Dunkirk) or Olean at 877-319-5773 (1618 West State St. Olean).

Once you reach out to Social Security, you can learn what your actual benefits will be and when you can begin collecting those benefits. As we said earlier, you are eligible to begin collecting Social Security at age 62 for early retirement benefits. This year you are turning 65, which is still considered early retirement, but you could be eligible to collect your SS benefit.

I hope this information is helpful in helping you make that Social Security decision. Janell Sluga is a Geriatric Care Manager helping seniors in our community access services and insurance. To reach her, please email editorial@post-journal.com.