1 Bad Reason to Claim Social Security Retirement Benefits at 62

In fact, one of the worst reasons to claim retirement benefits at 62 is because serious health issues are preventing you from working. If you have a severe health issue that prevents you from continuing to work in your early 60s, it may be tempting to just claim your retirement benefits so you can get the income you need. First and foremost, if you're forced to leave work early, you may not have the savings you'd hoped for, so you may need a larger Social Security benefit more than ever.