I went through EXACTLY this last year. Here's what nobody tells you: make sure you're looking at your actual FRA date carefully. Mine was July 15, 2024, and I thought as long as I reached FRA in July, I was good for July. WRONG! According to SSA, you reach FRA on the day BEFORE your birthday. So I actually reached FRA on July 14, not July 15. What happened? They counted an extra month of my earnings against the limit! It took three calls and a visit to my local office to straighten it out. Double check your EXACT FRA date on your Social Security statement. It might not be what you think!

I'm in a similar situation - turning FRA in June 2025 and planning to start benefits in July. This thread has been incredibly helpful! Just to summarize what I'm understanding for anyone else reading: 1. In your FRA year (2025), SSA only looks at earnings BEFORE the month you reach FRA 2. They apply a monthly earnings test (around $1,950-2,000/month for 2025) 3. Once you hit FRA in August, you can earn unlimited amounts with zero penalty 4. Make sure to verify your EXACT FRA date on your SSA statement - it might be the day before your birthday One question I still have: if you exceed the monthly limit in say, March, do they reduce your benefit payment for that specific month, or do they calculate everything at the end of the year? I'm trying to figure out if I should reduce my hours in the months leading up to my FRA or if it doesn't matter since I'm not collecting benefits yet anyway. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is way more helpful than trying to navigate the SSA website!

To summarize what everyone has shared: 1. The official SSA recommendation is to apply 3-4 months before you want benefits to begin 2. You can't apply more than 4 months before (so your brother's advice about 6 months is incorrect) 3. If you want benefits to start for September (your birth month), applying in June would be ideal 4. Benefits are paid the month after they're due, so your September benefit will arrive in October 5. Applying online is typically faster than other methods 6. Having all your documents ready will help speed up the process Since you're reaching FRA and have a straightforward case, 3-4 months should be sufficient.

Just wanted to add that you should also check your earnings record on your my Social Security account before applying to make sure everything is accurate. I found an error in mine from 2018 that would have reduced my benefit if I hadn't caught it. It took about 6 weeks to get corrected, so definitely worth checking well before you apply. You can access it at ssa.gov/myaccount. Also, if you're married, don't forget to consider spousal benefits strategies - sometimes it makes sense to coordinate timing with your spouse's application.

You should check your Medicare paperwork very carefully. When you first signed up for Medicare, you had choices to make about Part D coverage. If you didn't specifically decline Part D, you might have been automatically enrolled in a plan. My advice is to call the number on your Medicare card and ask for clarification about what plans you're currently enrolled in before making any changes.

I went through this exact same situation last year! Here's what I learned: First, you need to determine if your Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is actually a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy or a Medicare Advantage plan. True Medigap policies don't include prescription coverage, but some Medicare Advantage plans do. Call BCBS and ask specifically if your plan provides "creditable prescription drug coverage" that meets Medicare standards. If it does, they should be able to send you a letter confirming this. Then you can use that letter to disenroll from Part D by calling SSA or submitting the CMS-1763 form. But be absolutely certain your coverage is creditable first - the late enrollment penalties for Part D are permanent and can add up to hundreds of dollars per year if you ever need to re-enroll later!

one more thing... when my mom finally got her survivors benefits they gave her back pay from when my dad died, not just from when she applied! so make sure ur mom asks about that!!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Grace. I went through this exact situation with my grandmother a few years ago. She was also receiving reduced benefits from claiming early, but when my grandfather passed, she was able to switch to his full survivor benefit amount. At 84, your mom is well past full retirement age, so she should definitely be eligible for your dad's full $2,750 monthly benefit. The early filing penalty on her own benefits doesn't carry over to survivor benefits - that's a completely separate calculation. A few practical tips from my experience: Try calling SSA first thing in the morning (8am) when they open - you'll have better luck getting through. Also, if you have a local SSA office nearby, you might consider going in person if the phone system is too frustrating. Some offices take walk-ins for urgent matters like survivor benefits. Make sure to ask specifically about when the benefits will start - sometimes there can be a delay between approval and the first payment, so knowing the timeline helps with budgeting. Your mom really deserves that higher payment after what she's been through.

btw did u guys sign up for medicare too or just ss retirement

One thing I don't see mentioned yet - make sure you keep checking your mail for any correspondence from SSA even after you get your first payment! Sometimes they send follow-up letters requesting additional documentation or notifying you of benefit adjustments that could affect future payments. I missed an important letter last year that was buried in my mailbox and it caused a temporary hold on my benefits. Also, once you start receiving payments, you can set up text alerts through your MySSA account to get notified when payments are deposited. Really helpful for peace of mind, especially in those first few months when you're still getting used to the new payment schedule.