The benefits of claiming Social Security early are obvious. You receive your maximum number of checks, and you might be able to retire earlier than you could without your benefits. For some, that's reason enough to fill out their application as soon as they can.
But there are drawbacks to claiming Social Security early, too. They're not as obvious, but they can come back to bite you if you're not careful. Here are four you may want to weigh if you're thinking about signing up for Social Security as soon as you're eligible.
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1. Permanently reduced benefits
The Social Security Administration bases your benefit on your work history, but it also takes your claiming age into account. You must claim at your full retirement age (FRA) if you want the full benefit you've earned. Your FRA depends on your birth year, but it's 67 for most workers today.
You can claim sooner than this, but doing so shrinks your checks. You'll reduce your benefits by 30% if you sign up immediately at 62. If you qualified for a $2,000 monthly benefit at your FRA of 67, that means you'd only get $1,400 per month at 62. There's a common belief that your benefit will increase when you reach your FRA, but this isn't always true. For some, it results in permanently smaller monthly checks.
2. Smaller cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) by dollar value
Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are benefit increases that occur in most years. The COLA is a percentage -- for example, the 2025 COLA was 2.5%. So the actual dollar-value increase you receive depends on the benefit you receive.
If your benefit amount is lower due to early claiming, this also means you'll get a smaller COLA. Going back to our example of a $2,000 monthly benefit claimed at 67 versus a $1,400 monthly benefit claimed at 62, the person receiving the $2,000 benefit would get $50 more per check with a 2.5% COLA, while the person receiving the $1,400 benefit would get just $35 more per month.
3. Possible benefit loss to the Social Security earnings test
Those who work while claiming Social Security under their FRA could run into the Social Security earnings test. This withholds benefits if your income from your job exceeds certain limits. In 2025, you lose $1 for every $2 you earn over $23,400 if you'll be under your FRA all year. If you'll reach your FRA this year, you lose $1 for every $3 you earn over $62,160 if you earn this much before your birthday.
Money withheld due to the earnings test does come back to you as a benefit increase at your FRA. That's the silver lining. But it's possible that you may not receive checks at all during months when you're subject to the earnings test if your income is high enough. This could be a problem if you counted on your checks to cover some of your monthly expenses.
4. Reduced survivor benefit for your family members
Your spouse, dependent children, and possibly dependent parents could be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits on your work record after you pass away. However, their survivors' benefit amounts depend on the Social Security retirement benefit you were earning or entitled to at the time of your death.
When you claim Social Security early, you're permanently reducing the survivors benefits available to your family. For this reason, some people who don't need their Social Security benefits to live on choose to delay their checks.
None of this is to say that it's always wrong to claim Social Security before your FRA. It can make sense in certain situations, like if you have no other way to cover your expenses or if you have a short life expectancy and no one who could claim a survivor benefit on your behalf.
But if you're worried about any of the issues above, consider delaying your Social Security application at least until your FRA. This will help you avoid benefit reduction and the earnings test, and it may lead to a larger lifetime benefit, too.
