When Can I Collect Social Security? | Tamaqua, PA Guide

Stonebridge Planning Group · September 28, 2026

# When Can I Start Collecting Social Security? A Guide for Tamaqua & Schuylkill County

If you were born in 1960 or later, your Social Security full retirement age (FRA) is 67, according to the Social Security Administration. You can start benefits as early as age 62 with a permanent reduction, or delay past your FRA — up to age 70 — to earn a larger monthly benefit through delayed retirement credits.

Deciding *when* to claim is one of the biggest retirement questions families in Tamaqua, Coaldale, Pottsville, and across Schuylkill County wrestle with. Here's how the timing works.

What is "full retirement age"?

Full retirement age is the age at which you qualify for 100% of the benefit you've earned. For anyone born in 1960 or later, the SSA sets FRA at 67. People born before 1960 have a slightly lower FRA (for example, 66 and a number of months, depending on birth year). Claiming exactly at your FRA gives you your full "primary insurance amount" — no reduction and no delayed-retirement bonus.

What happens if I claim early at 62?

You can begin benefits as early as 62, but your monthly check is permanently reduced, and the earlier you claim before FRA, the larger that reduction. There's also an earnings test if you keep working while collecting before FRA. In 2026, the SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above $24,480. In the year you reach FRA, the limit rises to $65,160, with $1 withheld for every $3 over — and starting the month you reach FRA, there is no earnings limit at all. Withheld benefits aren't lost forever; the SSA recalculates your amount once you reach FRA.

What if I wait past full retirement age?

Delaying past 67 earns delayed retirement credits that increase your monthly benefit for each month you wait, up to age 70. After 70, waiting no longer adds credits. Benefits also receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA); the SSA announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026, which raises monthly checks to help keep pace with inflation.

How do I decide when to claim?

There's no single right age — it depends on your health, other income sources, whether you're still working, and your spouse's situation and benefits. Claiming early can make sense for some households and be costly for others. Local families often weigh the Social Security decision alongside their retirement savings, Medicare timing, and tax picture, since these choices interact.

Stonebridge Planning Group is an independent, education-first financial planning firm based in Tamaqua, PA, serving Schuylkill County and the greater Hazleton area — and clients virtually nationwide. Our role is to help you understand how these pieces connect, not to replace official sources. This is general education, not individualized advice: confirm your personal figures at ssa.gov or your My Social Security account, and consult a licensed professional about your own situation.