Claiming Social Security Early Is Costly for Everyone, but These Seniors Pay the Biggest Price

If you want the most Social Security checks possible, signing up as soon as you become eligible is your best move. But if you want the largest lifetime benefit, that might not be the best choice.

Claiming Social Security early -- that is, before your full retirement age (FRA) -- shrinks your benefits, and the loss is usually permanent. This is costly for all early claimants, though one group pays a steeper price than the rest.

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Spousal beneficiaries face the biggest losses for early claiming

Applying for Social Security retirement benefits under your FRA can reduce your benefits by up to 30%. That's enough to drop the $2,081 average monthly benefit as of April 2026 to about $1,457 per month. And it could result in a much smaller lifetime benefit for you if you have an average or above-average life expectancy.

But things are even worse for spousal Social Security beneficiaries. These individuals claim benefits on their partner's work records. The most they can receive is one-half of the amount their spouse is eligible for at their FRA, so these benefits are already much smaller to start with. The average monthly check is just $986 as of April 2026.

Like retirement benefits, the Social Security Administration shrinks your spousal benefit if you decide to apply early. But spousal benefits decrease much more rapidly.

Retirement benefits only drop by 5/9 of 1% per month (6.67% per year) for your first 36 months of early claiming, then 5/12 of 1% per month (5% per year) thereafter. But spousal benefits drop by 25/36 of 1% per month (8.33% per year) for the first 36 months, then 5/12 of 1% per year thereafter.

A 62-year-old claiming a spousal benefit today would only qualify for 32.5% of the amount their spouse is eligible for at their FRA. Again, this reduction is generally permanent and may result in a smaller lifetime benefit.

How to maximize your household Social Security benefits

If you're concerned about shrinking your spousal Social Security benefits too much, you might decide to put off your application until you qualify for larger checks. Keep in mind that you cannot apply for spousal benefits until your partner is claiming retirement benefits.

Or, if you and your spouse earned similar amounts throughout your career, you may not wind up claiming a spousal benefit at all. The Social Security Administration automatically gives you the larger of your retirement or spousal benefit. In that case, you can sign up whenever you feel comfortable.

Every month that you delay your checks will increase your benefits slightly, and this doesn't stop at your FRA for retirement benefits. You can continue to put off your application until you qualify for your largest checks at 70.

Talk with your partner and figure out when each of you wants to claim Social Security. Make sure you're both on the same page, and keep each other in the loop about any changes you're considering.

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