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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.
Filing early will decrease how much money you receive each month. Use a benefit calculator to figure out the difference in your case. Accrue delayed retirement credits. For each month between age 62 and age 70 that you wait to apply for RIB, Social Security will increase your benefits by a certain percentage.