The Longer You Wait, The More You Get

Q. I’m about to turn age 66. How do I apply for Social Security benefits? If I choose to wait until I’m older to collect my benefits, how much more would I get?

Your retirement benefit will increase about 8 percent for each year you wait. If your monthly benefit at age 66 is $1,000, it would grow to $1,080 at 67, to $1,160 at 68, to $1,240 at 69, and to $1,320 at age 70.

To collect your full retirement benefit at age 66, you must apply to the Social Security Administration three months before you want to receive it. You can apply online or visit your local office. If you have questions, you can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

The SSA Web site provides a table that shows how retirement benefits increase by percentage when you delay collecting. You can also compute the effect of delayed benefits by the month and year using the SSA calculator.

Source: Social Security Administration