Confused about Social Security FRA start date - mid-month birthday causing application issues

You're actually in luck! Social Security has a special rule for this exact situation. When your birthday falls anywhere except the 1st of the month, you're considered to have attained that age the day BEFORE the month of your birthday. So if your birthday is mid-month, you're actually considered to have reached FRA at the beginning of your birthday month. This is why the system offered you October - it's correctly calculating that you'll be FRA for benefit purposes. You won't get any reduction by starting in October. This special rule is sometimes called the "first of the month rule" and it's mentioned in SSA's POMS section GN 00302.400.

my sisters bday is the 22nd and she got confused about this too lol. the ssa people told her she reached her age the month OF her bday even tho it wasnt on the 1st. weird rule but it works in ur favor!!

The other responses are correct. This is one of the more favorable rules in the Social Security program. You attain your age for benefit purposes on the day before your birthday month begins. The only exception is if your birthday is on the 1st of the month - then you attain that age on the 1st of the PREVIOUS month. So for your situation: - If your birthday is October 18th, you're considered FRA on October 1st - If your birthday were October 1st, you'd be considered FRA on September 1st This is why the application offered you October. You can safely select that without any reduction. You'll receive your full FRA benefit amount.

This confused me too! But yes, you're good to start in October. October benefits will be paid in November (they're always paid the following month).

I went through this exact situation last year - May birthday but not on the 1st. Took me THREE calls to SSA to get a consistent answer because the first two reps gave me conflicting information! One said wait till June, one said May was fine. Finally got a supervisor who confirmed May was correct and wouldn't cause any reduction. After all that hassle trying to reach them (kept getting disconnected after 45+ minute waits), my daughter suggested using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a representative faster. Worked like a charm - they called me back when an agent was available instead of me sitting on hold forever. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Good luck with your application! The birthday month rule is definitely confusing but works in our favor!

IS THIS RULE STILL CURRENT?? I'm confused because I SWEAR the agent I talked to last week told me I had to wait until the month AFTER my birthday month to get full benefits (I turn 67 in December). Now I'm wondering if she was wrong or if I misunderstood?? This stuff is so complicated and the stakes are so high - we're talking about thousands of dollars over our lifetimes if we make a mistake!

One thing I want to add - while you're considered FRA for the entire month of your birthday (except if born on the 1st), remember that your first payment will arrive the FOLLOWING month. So if you select October as your start month, you'll receive that payment in November. Also, if you're still working, once you reach FRA, the earnings test no longer applies. You can earn any amount without affecting your benefits.

did u finish ur application yet? curious what u decided

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else reading this thread - I had the exact same confusion last year with my birthday on the 15th. The SSA rep I spoke with explained it this way: "You reach your age the day before the month begins, unless you're born on the 1st." It's counterintuitive but definitely works in our favor! One tip: when you complete your application and select your start month, print out or save a copy of the confirmation page. It will show your selected benefit start date and estimated monthly amount. This gives you peace of mind that everything was processed correctly. Also, after you submit, you should receive a receipt notice in the mail within a few weeks, followed by an award letter if approved. The whole process took about 6-8 weeks for me from application to first payment.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - turning FRA next year with a mid-month birthday and was already stressing about the timing. It's such a relief to learn about this "day before the month" rule. I've been reading SSA publications for months trying to understand all the nuances, but somehow missed this crucial detail. It's frustrating how poorly this is explained on their website - you'd think something this important would be front and center in their retirement planning materials. One question for those who've been through this: after you submit your application with the birthday month start date, did SSA ever question it or ask for additional verification? I'm worried they might flag it as an error since it seems counterintuitive that you can claim benefits before your actual birthday.

This discussion has been incredibly enlightening! As someone approaching FRA myself, I had no idea about this "day before the month" rule. It's amazing how this one detail can save people from unnecessarily delaying their benefits by a whole month. What strikes me most is how many people seem to discover this rule by accident or through community discussions like this, rather than from official SSA communications. You'd think such an important and beneficial rule would be prominently featured in their retirement planning materials. For anyone still feeling uncertain about this, I'd suggest double-checking by calling SSA directly and asking them to confirm your specific situation. While the wait times can be frustrating, it's worth the peace of mind when dealing with such an important financial decision. Just make sure to ask specifically about the "age attainment rule for benefit purposes" - using that exact phrase might help you get a more knowledgeable response. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here. This is exactly the kind of practical, real-world information that makes such a difference for people navigating this process!

This thread has been a lifesaver! I'm turning 67 in February and have been agonizing over this exact same issue - my birthday is February 14th and I was convinced I'd have to wait until March to avoid any reduction. I've been planning my finances around a March start date for months! Reading everyone's experiences here, especially the detailed explanations about the "day before the month" rule, has completely changed my understanding. I had no idea this rule even existed, and like others have mentioned, I couldn't find this information clearly explained anywhere on the SSA website. The fact that so many people have discovered this beneficial rule through community discussions rather than official SSA materials really says something about how poorly this is communicated. You'd think they'd want to make sure people know about rules that work in their favor! I'm definitely going to call SSA tomorrow using that suggestion about asking specifically about the "age attainment rule for benefit purposes" to get official confirmation for my February situation. But based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I can confidently move my application timeline up by a month. That's an extra month of benefits I would have missed out on! Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences. This is exactly the kind of practical information that makes all the difference when navigating such an important decision.

I'm just starting to research Social Security benefits as I approach my own FRA next year, and this entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I had absolutely no clue about this "day before the month" rule and was already dreading having to figure out the timing with my mid-month birthday. What really strikes me is how this beneficial rule seems to be this "hidden gem" that people only discover through forums like this or by luck when talking to the right SSA representative. You'd think something this significant - potentially affecting when millions of people can start their benefits - would be plastered all over their website and retirement planning materials. I'm bookmarking this thread for when I need to apply next year. The advice about printing confirmation pages, using specific terminology when calling SSA, and getting official verification all sounds incredibly practical. It's clear that navigating this system requires not just understanding the rules, but knowing how to communicate effectively with SSA to get accurate information. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of real-world knowledge is invaluable for those of us still figuring this process out!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm someone who's been putting off applying for Social Security benefits because I was so confused about the timing with my October 25th birthday. I kept going in circles trying to understand when exactly I'd be eligible for full benefits without reduction. Reading through everyone's experiences here has finally given me the clarity I needed. The "day before the month" rule is such a game-changer - I had no idea it existed and certainly couldn't find it explained clearly anywhere on the SSA website. Like so many others have mentioned, it's frustrating that such an important and beneficial rule is essentially hidden from public view. What I find most valuable about this discussion is not just learning about the rule itself, but seeing how many different people have successfully navigated this exact situation. The consistency in everyone's experiences gives me confidence that this really is how the system works, even though it seems counterintuitive at first. I'm planning to start my application this week and select October as my start month. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and advice - this community knowledge-sharing is exactly what people need when dealing with these complex government systems. You've probably saved me from unnecessarily delaying my benefits by a month!

This thread has been such a relief to read! I'm approaching FRA next year with a mid-month birthday and have been losing sleep over this exact timing question. Like so many others here, I had no idea about the "day before the month" rule and was preparing to wait an extra month unnecessarily. What really gets me is how this critical information seems to be buried in bureaucratic language and technical manuals rather than being clearly communicated to the people who need it most. The fact that so many experienced folks here discovered this rule by accident or through community discussions speaks volumes about how poorly SSA explains their own beneficial policies. I've been bookmarking all the great advice in this thread - especially the tips about using specific terminology when calling SSA and keeping documentation. It's clear that successfully navigating this system requires not just understanding the rules, but knowing how to communicate effectively with their representatives. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences. This kind of practical wisdom is exactly what people need when facing such important financial decisions. You've probably saved countless people from missing out on benefits they're entitled to!

As someone who works in retirement planning, I can confirm everything mentioned here about the age attainment rule is absolutely correct. This is codified in Social Security Administration Program Operations Manual System (POMS) section GN 00302.400, and it's one of the most misunderstood aspects of Social Security timing. The rule is simple: you attain your age on the day before the first day of the month, UNLESS you're born on the 1st - then you attain that age on the first day of the previous month. So Lara, with your mid-month October birthday, you're considered FRA starting October 1st and can receive full benefits for the entire month of October. What's particularly frustrating is how poorly SSA communicates this rule to the public. I regularly have clients who nearly delay their benefits unnecessarily because they don't understand this provision. The online application system does calculate this correctly when you select "earliest month without reduction," so trust what it's showing you. One additional tip: once you submit your application, you'll receive a receipt notice acknowledging your claim. Keep this safe - it contains your claim number and filing date, which can be important if any issues arise during processing.

This has been such an educational thread! I'm still a couple years away from FRA but have been trying to understand all the Social Security rules ahead of time. Like everyone else here, I had absolutely no idea about this "day before the month" age attainment rule - it's incredible how this beneficial provision seems to be completely hidden from public view. What amazes me is reading through all these experiences where people discovered this rule by pure chance or through community discussions rather than clear SSA guidance. It makes me grateful for forums like this where real people share their actual experiences navigating these systems. I'm definitely bookmarking this entire conversation for future reference. The combination of personal experiences, practical tips about calling SSA with specific terminology, and now having the official POMS reference (GN 00302.400) creates such a comprehensive resource. This is exactly the kind of information that should be front and center on the SSA website but somehow isn't. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and especially to those who provided the detailed explanations. You've probably helped countless people avoid unnecessarily delaying their benefits!