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A. You can. Social Security will accept your application for early benefits when you're 61 years 9 months. Regardless of how old you are, the agency generally recommends that you apply three months before you would like the first payment to arrive.
Be careful to start your entitlement neither too early nor too late. Social Security encourages you to apply 3 to 4 months before you want to start your entitlement. So in the above example, if you apply in September 2016, be sure to establish your entitlement month as December 2016.