If you change your mind about starting your benefits, you can cancel your application for up to 12 months after you became entitled to retirement benefits. This process is called a withdrawal. You can reapply later. You are limited to one withdrawal per lifetime.
Can you get a lump sum from Social Security?
If your full retirement age benefit was $2,000 per month then you could claim up to $12,000 in a lump payment, provided you had deferred your Social Security payments for at least six months.
Can I cash out my Social Security early?
You don't have to be retired to dip into your Social Security benefits which are available to you as early as age 62. If you withdraw at the earliest point of age 62, you will receive 25% less than your full benefits. If you were born after 1960, that amount is 30%.
What is the penalty for drawing Social Security early?
In the case of early retirement, a benefit is reduced 5/9 of one percent for each month before normal retirement age, up to 36 months. If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month.
Can I retire at 55 and collect Social Security?
So can you retire at 55 and collect Social Security? The answer, unfortunately, is no. The earliest age to begin drawing Social Security retirement benefits is 62. Once you turn 62, you could claim Social Security retirement benefits but your earnings from consulting work could affect how much you collect.