Early Retirement

 An early retirement pension is a pension that starts before Normal Retirement Age. The monthly amount of an early retirement pension is less than that of a regular pension because the early retirement pension will presumably need to be paid over a longer period of time. Provided you meet the vesting requirement, you may start receiving an early retirement pension as of the first day of any month on or after you have: (1) reached at least age 55; and (2) earned at least 10 pension credits.

If you qualify for an early retirement pension and are applying for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, please see page 18 for more information as you may be able to convert your early retirement pension to a disability pension. This is called a contingent early retirement disability pension.