Social Security Benefits – Men

Social Security retirement benefits as a worker or spouse of a worker based on age are first available at age 62 on a reduced basis from the amount available at full retirement age (aged 65–66 depending on birth year). Eligibility for disabled worker benefits at any age requires an inability to work, recent employment (generally half of the last 10 years), and sufficient lifetime employment to be on track for eligibility for retired worker benefits.

Chart 7a. Percent distribution of men aged 62–64 currently receiving Social Security benefits, by type of benefit, in December 1984, 1994, and 2004
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Source: Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin, 1986, 1995, and 2005.

• The percentage of current beneficiary men aged 62–64 receiving earned worker benefits remained relatively stable over the past two decades. In 1984, 1994, and 2004, about three-quarters of current beneficiary men aged 62–64 collected retired worker benefits (76 percent, 78 percent, and 73 percent, respectively) and slightly less than one-quarter collected disabled worker benefits (23 percent, 21 percent, and 25 percent, respectively).
• Only 1 percent of current beneficiary men aged 62–64 received survivor benefits between 1984 and 2004 and less than 1 percent received spouse benefits.
• More than half of men aged 62–64 collected some type of Social Security benefit in both 1994 (58 percent) and 2004 (54 percent) (Unpublished analyses of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation).