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A. You can. Social Security will accept your application for early benefits when you're 61 years 9 months. Regardless of how old you are, the agency generally recommends that you apply three months before you would like the first payment to arrive.
Early retirement. If you take your Social Security at 62, your monthly payments will be permanently reduced between 20% and 30%, depending on your date of birth. By retiring at 62, you will get payments for a longer period of time but with fewer dollars than if you had waited until normal retirement age of 65 plus.ontact Social Security three months before the month in which you want to file for retirement benefits. There are three ways to apply for retirement benefits: 1  File your claim at any Social Security office. 2  Call 1-800-772-1213 between 7 am and 7 pm ET Monday through Friday.