Can I start Social Security benefits in the SAME month I reach FRA if my birthday is on the 2nd?

You're in luck! Social Security has a special rule for people born on the 1st through the 10th of the month. You are considered to have attained your age for the entire month. So since your FRA is on June 2nd, you're considered to have reached your FRA for the entire month of June. You can safely start your benefits in June 2025 with no reduction at all.

my mom started hers on her birthday month last year and got the full amount. your fine

I was LITERALLY just dealing with this same question last month!!! My FRA birthday was on the 5th, and I was so paranoid about getting it wrong that I called SSA like 3 times and got 3 slightly different answers which was INFURIATING!!! One rep told me to wait until the following month just to be "safe" but another one confirmed I could start it the same month. The whole system is designed to confuse us I swear!!!!!

SSA has what they call the "birthday rule" - if you're born on the 1st through the 10th, you reach that age on the first day of the month. Born on the 11th through the 20th, you reach that age on the 11th. Born on the 21st through the end of the month, you reach that age on the 21st. Since your birthday is on the 2nd, you're considered to have reached your Full Retirement Age on June 1st, 2025. You can start benefits that month without reduction. Make sure your application clearly states June 2025 as your benefit start month.

I thought it depended on whether you were born on a weekend? My cousin told me that if your birthday falls on a Saturday or Sunday then you have to wait till the following month... is that not right?

I tried calling SS to ask a similar question and was on hold for 2 HOURS before giving up. Tried again the next day, same thing. How does anyone actually reach them?? So frustrating.

To add some additional context that might be helpful: this rule about birthdays in the first 10 days of the month is formally called the "Date of Attainment Rule" in SSA's Program Operations Manual. The exact same rule applies to when you turn 62 (earliest eligibility age), when you reach FRA, and when you turn 70 (maximum benefit age). One important note - even though you can start benefits in the month you reach FRA with no reduction, your actual payment for that month will arrive the following month. So your June 2025 benefit payment would arrive in July 2025. This sometimes confuses people who are expecting a payment right away.

Thank you all for the great information! Just to summarize what I learned so the next person with this question can benefit: 1. Since my FRA is on the 2nd of the month (within the first 10 days), I'm considered to have reached FRA for the entire month 2. I can safely start benefits in June 2025 with NO reduction 3. When applying, I should specifically select June 2025 as my benefit start month 4. My June benefit will actually be paid in July This has been incredibly helpful and saved me from potentially making a costly mistake or having to spend hours trying to reach SSA directly. Thanks again everyone!

You're very welcome! I'm glad we could help clear this up for you. Your summary is perfect and will definitely help future readers who find themselves in the same situation. The birthday timing rules can be really confusing at first, but once you understand them they make sense. Best of luck with your application - you've got all the information you need to do it right! And congratulations on reaching your FRA!

Welcome to the community, Aaron! You're absolutely right - this thread is a perfect example of how helpful everyone here is. I've been a member for a while now and I'm constantly impressed by how people share their knowledge and real experiences to help each other navigate these complex government systems. Don't hesitate to ask questions when you're ready - whether it's about Social Security timing, Medicare enrollment, or any other benefits. There's always someone here who has been through the same situation and can offer guidance. The sooner you start understanding your options, the better decisions you'll be able to make when the time comes!

That's exactly the right mindset, CosmicCaptain! Starting to learn about these systems a few years early is one of the smartest things you can do. I wish I had done the same - I ended up scrambling to understand everything just months before I needed to make decisions. The Social Security and Medicare rules can seem overwhelming at first, but when you break them down piece by piece like we did with Liam's birthday timing question, they become much more manageable. Plus, having time to plan means you can optimize your strategy rather than just taking the first option that seems reasonable. Feel free to post questions as they come up - even hypothetical "what if" scenarios can generate really helpful discussions that benefit everyone!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm still several years away from my FRA, but seeing how you all broke down the birthday timing rules so clearly has given me confidence that I'll be able to navigate these decisions when the time comes. The fact that such a seemingly simple question about "can I start benefits in my birthday month" actually has specific rules based on what day of the month you're born shows just how complex the Social Security system can be. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it's exactly this kind of detailed, practical information that makes this community so valuable for people trying to understand government benefits!