Challenges for Those Claiming Social Security Benefits Early and New Health Coverage Options, GAO-14-311: Published: Apr 23, 2014. Publicly Released: May 27, 2014: “Several work-related factors may cause people to claim Social Security benefits early and suggest they may face challenges in continuing to work at older ages. For example, those who worked in physically-demanding blue collar jobs were 55 percent more likely to claim benefits prior to their full retirement age compared to those in all other occupations after controlling for other factors. Those who were out of the workforce or had longer work histories by age 60-62 were also significantly more likely to claim early. In addition to work-related characteristics, other factors, such as having poorer expectations of living to age 75 significantly increase the likelihood of claiming early.”