Social Security Q&A

Q: How should I decide when to start receiving my Social Security retirement benefits?

A: The decision regarding when to start receiving retirement benefits is highly personal and depends on a number of factors, such as your current cash needs, your health and family longevity, whether you plan to work in retirement, and the amount of your future Social Security benefit. You may start receiving benefits as early as age 62. However, if you start benefits early — before your "full retirement age" — your benefits are reduced for each month before your full retirement age. For help in making your decision, as well as all the factors to consider, read our publication When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10147.html

Q: Will my retirement pension from my job reduce the amount of my Social Security benefit?

A: If your pension is from work where you also paid Social Security taxes, it will not affect your Social Security benefit amount. However, a pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, some federal, state, local, or foreign government retirement systems) probably will reduce the amount of your Social Security benefit. For more information, read Windfall Elimination Provision (www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html) (Publication no. 05-10045) and Government Pension Offset (www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10007.html) (Publication no. 05-10007). You can find both of these publications online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs under the "Retirement Benefits" section.

This column was prepared by the Social Security Administration. For fast answers to specific Social Security questions, contact Social Security toll-free at 800-772-1213.