Can I start Social Security at 65 after planning to wait until 67? Is there a specific enrollment period?

Thank you so much for this information! That's a relief to know I can apply anytime. Do you know how long it typically takes for benefits to start once I submit my application? I'm trying to figure out if I should apply now or wait until next month.

That's reassuring to hear! I'm not great with computer stuff - was the online application pretty straightforward? Did you have to upload any documents or did they access your work history automatically?

the website part was easy they knew my work stuff already. but they wanted my birth certificate had to mail it to local office that was annoying. my first payment took like 6 weeks to show up

I had a similar experience with long delays last year, but I found a service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach a live SSA agent quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. You might want to check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it helped me get through to someone who could actually check my application status and resolve some issues that were causing delays. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to look into it. Definitely made dealing with SSA much less frustrating.

I'm so sorry you're having these problems. Stories like yours are exactly why I'm nervous about the whole process. How long did they initially tell you it would take?

Thank you for all this detailed information. I hadn't even thought about the earnings limit. I'm not working full-time anymore, but I do some consulting work that brings in about $15,000 per year. Sounds like I'm under the limit, but it's good to be aware of this.

I appreciate that perspective. I've actually done a lot of calculations about this already. Given my health concerns, I'm less confident I'll live into my late 80s when the higher payments would start to outweigh taking benefits earlier. But it's definitely something everyone should consider carefully based on their own situation.

This is correct - delaying benefits increases them by about 8% per year between FRA and age 70. However, the original poster mentioned health concerns, which is a valid factor in this decision. The general breakeven age (where waiting starts to pay off) is around mid-80s for most people. Not everyone will live that long, which makes this a personal decision based on health status, financial need, and family longevity.

Just to clarify - SSI (Supplemental Security Income) doesn't have specific enrollment periods either. You can apply for SSI anytime. You might be thinking of Medicare, which does have specific enrollment periods. SSDI is Social Security Disability Insurance, which also has no enrollment periods but has different eligibility requirements than retirement benefits. Retirement benefits (what the original poster is asking about) can indeed be applied for anytime after age 62.

Yes, I enrolled in Medicare when I turned 65. That process went smoothly, but it's why I was wondering if Social Security retirement had similar timing restrictions. Sounds like it doesn't, which is good news!

Great question, though it's tangential to the original post. Yes, when you claim your own retirement benefits affects your spouse in two ways: 1. Your spouse cannot claim spousal benefits based on your record until you've filed for your own benefits 2. If you take reduced benefits by claiming early, it doesn't directly reduce your spouse's spousal benefit percentage (which is up to 50% of your PIA), but it does mean you're bringing less total income into the household If your spouse has her own work record, she should compare her own benefit to the spousal benefit - she'll receive whichever is higher, but not both.

Thank you for sharing your experience! The "do-over" option is something I hadn't heard about before - that's really valuable information. Having that safety net makes me feel much more confident about potentially applying sooner rather than later. The fact that you got your first payment in about 5 weeks is also encouraging, especially after reading about some of the delays others have experienced. I think I'm going to start gathering my documents this week and seriously consider applying next month.

I didn't know about the phone consultation option - that sounds incredibly helpful! As someone new to all this Social Security stuff, having an actual person walk through my specific numbers would be so much better than trying to figure it out from online calculators. Do you remember how you scheduled that consultation? Was it through the main SSA phone number or did you have to go through your local office? I'm definitely going to look into this before I make my final decision. It's reassuring to hear from someone in such a similar situation who's been through this process recently.

You can schedule the consultation by calling the main SSA number at 1-800-772-1213. When you call, just tell them you're considering applying for retirement benefits and would like to speak with someone about your options before filing. They'll either do it right then if they have time, or schedule a callback appointment. I found it really helpful because they could pull up my actual earnings record and show me exactly what my benefit would be at 65, 66, 67, etc. - not just estimates. They also explained some nuances I hadn't thought about, like how working part-time might affect things. The whole conversation took about 20 minutes and really helped me feel confident in my decision. One tip: have your Social Security number and maybe your last few years of tax returns handy when you call, just in case they need to verify some information.

Thank you for sharing your experience! Your break-even calculation approach is really helpful - I hadn't thought about framing it that way. At 83, that would give me 18 years to enjoy the benefits, and honestly with my current health concerns, having that financial security sooner rather than later is looking more and more appealing. It's reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same decision-making process and has no regrets about starting at 65. I think I'm leaning more toward applying next month after reading all these responses. The peace of mind factor you mentioned really resonates with me.