When Can I Start Social Security?
Its own age-based system entirely — independent of your MPSERS retirement eligibility and independent of Medicare too.
💬 GLP Retirement MinuteThree Ages, Three Outcomes
Your Social Security claiming age has nothing to do with your MPSERS retirement eligibility or your Medicare eligibility (generally 65). You could claim MPSERS at 55, keep working, and not touch Social Security until 70 — or any other combination. Nothing forces these to align.
If you claim before your Full Retirement Age and keep earning income, Social Security temporarily withholds part of your benefit above certain earnings limits — that withholding stops permanently once you reach Full Retirement Age.
Create a "my Social Security" account at ssa.gov to see your exact benefit estimate at each claiming age, based on your real earnings record.
There's no single "right" age — it depends on your health, other income, and whether you're still working. What matters here is knowing this decision is entirely yours to make on its own timeline, not something dictated by when you retire from teaching.