Last Updated: July 26, 2026 Reading Time: 8 min

Every FERS retiree hits the same wall at 62: the FERS Supplement dies, and Social Security becomes claimable the same month. That timing nudges thousands of federal retirees into claiming at 62 by default, locking in a permanent 30% cut, when the actual decision deserves the same math you ran on your retirement date. Here's the full 62-versus-67-versus-70 analysis, with the break-even ages, the TSP bridge cost, and the survivor-benefit angle most write-ups skip.

The Decision the Supplement's Death Forces

The FERS Supplement ends at 62 no matter what. That post covers the cliff itself. This one answers the next question: with the supplement gone, when do you actually turn on Social Security?

The mechanics, verified against SSA's 2026 rules:

Birth year Full retirement age Reduction at 62 Max delayed-credit gain at 70
1957 66 yr 6 mo ~27.5% +28%
1958 66 yr 8 mo ~28.3% +26.7%
1959 66 yr 10 mo ~29.2% +25.3%
1960 or later 67 30% +24%

Delayed credits accrue at two-thirds of 1% per month past FRA (8% per year) and stop at 70. There is never a reason to claim later than 70.

The Break-Even Table

FedTools' model profile: a FERS retiree with a $2,500/month benefit at FRA 67. That makes the age-62 check $1,750 and the age-70 check $3,100. Cumulative benefits collected, ignoring COLAs and investment returns:

Age Claimed at 62 Claimed at 67 Claimed at 70
70 $168,000 $90,000 $0
75 $273,000 $240,000 $186,000
79 $357,000 $360,000 $334,800
82 $420,000 $450,000 $446,400
85 $483,000 $540,000 $558,000
90 $588,000 $690,000 $744,000

The crossovers: 62-vs-67 at about 78 years 8 months; 62-vs-70 at about 80 years 5 months. A 62-year-old man's average life expectancy is roughly 81; a woman's about 84. For a married couple, the odds that at least one spouse passes the crossover age are high, which is where the survivor angle comes in.

The honest counterargument: money claimed at 62 and invested (or left unspent in TSP) pushes the true break-even later. If your early checks earn a real return, the crossover moves into the mid-80s. The table above is the floor case, not the whole case.

What the Bridge Actually Costs

Delaying means living on your pension plus TSP until the bigger check starts. Replacing the full $2,500/month from TSP:

Bridge Duration TSP consumed (no growth)
62 to 67 60 months $150,000
62 to 70 96 months $240,000

That framing scares people off, and it's the wrong frame for most. You don't need to replace the whole benefit, only the gap between claiming early and claiming later. Covering the $750/month difference between the age-62 check and the FRA check costs about $45,000 over five years, a far more achievable number for a typical TSP balance. Run your own drawdown with the TSP Calculator.

A model month for a retiree with a $2,500 pension: claim at 62 and you're at roughly $5,250/month with a $1,000 TSP draw. Delay, raise the TSP draw to $3,500, and you hold $6,000/month while your future benefit grows 8% a year, guaranteed by formula rather than by markets.

The Survivor Benefit Is the Buried Lede

Two rules that get conflated:

  • Spousal benefit (both alive): capped at 50% of your FRA amount. Your delayed credits do nothing here. Delaying to 70 does not raise your spouse's check by a dime while you're alive.
  • Survivor benefit: your surviving spouse can step up to what you were actually receiving. Delayed credits transfer in full.
You claimed at Survivor's monthly check (model profile)
62 ~$1,750
67 $2,500
70 ~$3,100

For a couple, delaying the higher earner's claim is less a bet on your own longevity than on the joint probability that either of you lives long, which is much higher. The $1,350/month difference between claiming at 62 and 70 is $16,200 a year, with COLAs, for as long as the survivor lives. If your FERS survivor election analysis mattered to you, this is the same decision wearing a different hat.

Two Collisions to Check Before You Decide

The earnings test. If you claim before FRA and keep working (a second career, consulting), 2026 withholds $1 per $2 earned above $24,480. Your pension and TSP don't count; wages do. Working federal retirees who claim at 62 often give back a large slice of the early checks.

RMDs at 73. Delay to 70 and your traditional TSP required minimum distributions start just three years later, stacking on top of your maximum benefit and pension. That can push provisional income deep into the 85%-taxable zone and across IRMAA surcharge lines. A Roth in-plan conversion strategy in the bridge years is often the counter: the 62-to-70 window, after the supplement dies and before RMDs, is frequently a FERS retiree's lowest-tax stretch, ideal for conversions.

Start with your supplement and pension numbers in the FERS Supplement Calculator and the FERS Retirement Calculator, then run the claiming scenarios against your own life expectancy and spouse's numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do delayed credits add?

8% per year past FRA, capped at 70. Born 1960 or later, that's a maximum of +24%, versus a 30% cut at 62. The swing between the two extremes is 54 percentage points of your full benefit.

What's the break-even age?

About 78 yr 8 mo for 62-vs-67 and about 80 yr 5 mo for 62-vs-70 in the floor case with no investment return; add returns on early checks and it drifts into the mid-80s.

How much TSP does bridging take?

$150K to 67 or $240K to 70 replacing the full check; only ~$45K if you frame it as covering the $750/month gap to FRA.

Does delaying help my spouse?

Not while you're both alive (spousal cap is 50% of your FRA amount). After your death, fully: the survivor benefit steps up to your actual check.

Does my pension trigger the earnings test?

No. Only wages and self-employment income count. The 2026 limit is $24,480 for those under FRA all year.

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