Updated

Updated · AS USA · Jun 19

SSA Issues June 24 Social Security Payments to 71.2 Million System’s Late-Month Birthdays

Updated

Updated · AS USA · Jun 19

SSA Issues June 24 Social Security Payments to 71.2 Million System’s Late-Month Birthdays

Q: With Social Security facing a 17% cut, what is now the smartest age to start claiming?

For most people, the smartest age is still to wait until at least full retirement age, and often until 70 if health and finances allow. A projected 17% Social Security cut does not, by itself, make claiming at 62 the better strategy. The reason is simple: the cut would likely apply as a percentage to whatever benefit you are receiving. Claiming early locks in a permanently smaller base benefit. For people born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. Claiming at 62 cuts the monthly benefit by about 30%, while waiting until 70 raises it by about 24% above the full-retirement amount. Even if a 17% reduction later occurred, a larger starting benefit would still usually leave you with more each month. Example: if your full-retirement benefit is $2,000, claiming at 62 gives about $1,400; a 17% cut would reduce that to roughly $1,162. Waiting until 70 gives about $2,480; after a 17% cut, that would still be about $2,058. Experts generally say the breakeven point for delaying is in the early 80s. That means waiting tends to pay off if you expect average or longer life expectancy, want stronger survivor benefits for a spouse, or need the highest inflation-adjusted monthly income later in retirement. Claiming at 62 can still make sense if you have poor health, shorter life expectancy, or immediate cash needs. But the looming cut alone is not strong evidence that early claiming is the smartest move.

3 articles · Updated · AS USA · Jun 19

June 24 marks the final regular Social Security payment date for June 2026, covering beneficiaries born on the 21st through 31st of any month.
The SSA staggers payments across three Wednesdays by birth date—June 10 for birthdays on the 1st-10th, June 17 for the 11th-20th, and June 24 for the 21st-31st.
June 3 already covered two other groups: recipients who started benefits before May 1997 and people who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income.
Average monthly benefits cited by the SSA are $2,028 for retirees, $1,493.25 for disability recipients and $1,626.59 for survivor beneficiaries.
Payments are typically delivered by direct deposit or the Direct Express debit card as the agency completes its June distribution cycle.