Social Security at 70 - Do I file in my birth month (March) or wait until April 2025 for maximum benefit?

You should apply in March, the month you turn 70. Social Security pays benefits for the month you reach full retirement age or, in your case, age 70, but the payment comes the following month. So for March 2025, you'll receive your payment in April 2025. You don't need to wait until April to apply - that would actually cause you to lose a month of benefits unnecessarily.

My husband went through this last year! You definitely want to apply in your birth month. SS pays for the entire month even if your birthday isn't on the 1st. Don't wait until April or you'll just be leaving money on the table!

To maximize your delayed retirement credits (DRCs), you need to understand that SSA awards these credits up to age 70. You'll earn the maximum possible DRCs by the month you turn 70, which is March 2025 in your case. You'll want to apply in January or February 2025 (you can apply up to 3 months before) and specify March 2025 as your benefit start month. This gives you maximum benefits with no reduction. If you wait until April, you're simply losing a month of payments with no additional increase to your monthly benefit amount.

Doesn't matter what day of the month your bday is, SS pays for the WHOLE month!!! So def apply for March 2025. My sister messed this up and lost a whole month of $$$ cause nobody told her!

Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due. Each monthly payment represents benefits for the previous month. If you're turning 70 in March 2025, you should apply for benefits to start that month. You'll receive your first payment in April 2025, which will be for March 2025. The payment amount will include all delayed retirement credits you've earned by waiting until age 70. One important note: because you're applying right at age 70, I recommend applying 2-3 months before your birthday to ensure timely processing. You can specify March 2025 as your benefit start date, even if you apply in January 2025.

I went through similar panic when I was turning 70 back in 2023. Tried calling SSA for weeks to confirm the exact right date to apply. Could never get through - kept getting disconnected after waiting for 2+ hours each time. Finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed I should apply in my birth month to get full delayed retirement credits. They also helped me complete my application over the phone which was much easier than doing it online.

To answer your specific question about whether you'll get the full delayed retirement credits if you file in March: YES, you will receive 100% of your age-70 benefit amount including all delayed retirement credits you've earned. SSA calculates delayed retirement credits up to the month you turn 70, not on a daily basis. So even though you're turning 70 on the 9th, you'll get credit as if you were 70 for the entire month of March. There's no proration - you get the full month's benefit. And to reiterate what others have said, apply 2-3 months before your birthday to ensure smooth processing.

When my husband applied at 70, they backdated his application by 6 months automatically!!! Said something about only being able to backdate 6 months max for retirement benefits. So even if you mess up and apply a little late, they might be able to help you. But definitely apply in March!

not an expert but I thought social security pays for previous month??? So March payment arrives in April??? Thats how mine works anyways

To summarize what everyone's saying: 1. Apply for benefits to start in March 2025 (your birth month) 2. You'll get your first payment in April 2025 (for March) 3. Your benefit will include ALL delayed retirement credits 4. Apply 2-3 months before your birthday to ensure timely processing 5. Specify March 2025 as your benefit start date This approach gives you the maximum possible benefit without losing any payments.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago! The key thing to remember is that Social Security delayed retirement credits stop accumulating after the month you turn 70 - there's literally no benefit to waiting past that point. You've already done the hard part by waiting until 70, so don't second-guess yourself now. Apply in January or February 2025 with March as your benefit start date, and you'll get every penny you've earned through your patience. The peace of mind knowing you maximized your benefit is worth starting the application process a bit early!

Just wanted to add one more important detail that I learned when my mom went through this process - make sure you have all your documents ready when you apply! Even though you can apply 2-3 months early, SSA will need things like your birth certificate, W-2s, and other paperwork to process your application. Getting these together ahead of time will help ensure your first payment arrives on schedule in April. Also, if you're married, they'll ask about your spouse's information too, so have that handy. The last thing you want after waiting until 70 is any delays because of missing paperwork!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you can actually check your estimated benefit amount online at ssa.gov/myaccount before you apply. This lets you see exactly what your monthly payment will be with all the delayed retirement credits included, so there are no surprises. I found it really helpful to log in and verify my numbers matched what I was expecting after years of waiting. Also, when you do apply (definitely in January/February for a March start date as everyone said), you can do it online, by phone, or in person at your local SSA office. The online application is usually the fastest, but if you have any complicated situations or questions, talking to someone directly might be worth it. You've waited this long to maximize your benefits, so take whatever approach gives you the most confidence that everything is set up correctly!

I'm in a very similar situation - turning 70 in June 2025 and have been stressing about the exact timing too! After reading all these responses, it's clear that the consensus is to apply 2-3 months early with your birth month as the start date. What really helped me understand this is that Social Security stops giving you delayed retirement credits after the month you turn 70, so there's literally no benefit to waiting longer. I've been checking my estimated benefits on ssa.gov regularly and it's amazing to see how much the delayed credits have increased my monthly payment over the years. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so helpful to hear from people who have actually gone through this process successfully!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works at a local SSA office - everyone here is giving you excellent advice! You should definitely apply in January or February 2025 with March as your benefit start date. What I see happen sometimes is people get nervous about "applying too early" but the system is designed to handle this - you're not locking yourself into anything problematic by applying 2-3 months ahead of time. One small tip from the processing side: when you complete your application, double-check that March 2025 is clearly marked as your requested benefit start date. Sometimes applicants assume the system will automatically pick the "right" month, but being explicit about wanting March 2025 as your start month helps avoid any confusion during processing. You've been incredibly disciplined waiting until 70, so make sure you get every dollar of those delayed retirement credits you've earned!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm what everyone is saying - apply in January or February 2025 with March as your benefit start date. I was in the exact same boat, turning 70 in February and worried about losing even a penny of delayed retirement credits after waiting so long. What really put my mind at ease was understanding that SSA calculates those credits on a monthly basis, not daily. So even though you turn 70 on March 9th, you get full credit for the entire month of March. The hardest part is behind you - you've already shown incredible patience waiting until 70! I used the online application and it was surprisingly straightforward. Just make sure to clearly specify March 2025 as your benefit start month like Andre mentioned. My first payment arrived right on schedule the month after my benefit start date. You've earned every dollar of those delayed retirement credits, so don't stress too much about the timing now!

I'm turning 70 next month and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stressing about the exact same timing question. It sounds like the consensus is crystal clear - apply 2-3 months before your 70th birthday with your birth month as the start date. What really clicked for me reading all these responses is that delayed retirement credits stop accumulating after the month you turn 70, so there's literally zero benefit to waiting beyond that point. I'm going to follow everyone's advice and apply online this week with February 2025 as my benefit start date. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so valuable to hear from people who have actually been through this process!

Reading through all these responses has been so educational! I'm 68 and planning ahead for my own 70th birthday filing. One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know if there are any differences in the process if you're still working when you turn 70? I've heard conflicting information about whether you need to stop working or if there are earnings limits that apply once you reach 70. Since everyone here seems so knowledgeable about the timing and application process, I figured this might be a good place to ask. I'm planning to keep working part-time even after I start collecting benefits, but I want to make sure that won't affect my delayed retirement credits or cause any issues with my application.

As someone who helps seniors navigate Social Security applications, I want to emphasize what several others have already said correctly - you should absolutely apply in January or February 2025 with March 2025 as your benefit start date. You've waited patiently to maximize your delayed retirement credits, and those credits stop accumulating after the month you turn 70, so there's no benefit to waiting beyond March. The key points everyone has covered are spot-on: SSA calculates delayed retirement credits monthly (not daily), so you'll receive full credit for March even though your birthday is on the 9th. Your first payment will arrive in April 2025 for March benefits - this is normal since Social Security pays benefits the month after they're earned. One additional tip I'd suggest: after you submit your online application, you should receive a receipt number. Keep this handy in case you need to follow up on your application status. Also, consider setting up direct deposit if you haven't already - it's the fastest and most secure way to receive your benefits. You've shown remarkable discipline waiting until 70, and now you'll reap the rewards of that patience with the maximum possible monthly benefit. Don't second-guess yourself at this point!

I'm so glad you asked this question because I was literally losing sleep over the exact same timing issue! I turn 70 in May and have been going back and forth about whether to file in my birth month or wait. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - the consensus is crystal clear that you should apply 2-3 months early (January/February) with March 2025 as your benefit start date. What really helped me understand this is that delayed retirement credits stop accumulating after the month you turn 70, and they're calculated on a monthly basis, not daily. So even though your birthday is March 9th, you'll get full credit for the entire month of March. There's literally no benefit to waiting beyond your birth month - you'd just be leaving money on the table. The fact that so many people here have successfully gone through this exact process and received their maximum benefits by filing in their birth month gives me huge peace of mind. I'm definitely going to follow the same approach when my time comes in a few months. You've shown incredible patience waiting until 70 - don't overthink it now!

I just want to add my voice to the chorus here - everyone is giving you excellent advice! I went through this exact situation three years ago when I turned 70 in August. Like you, I was terrified of making a mistake after waiting so long to maximize my benefits. The key insight that helped me was realizing that Social Security's delayed retirement credit system is designed to reward you for waiting until 70, and those credits max out at your 70th birthday month - not your actual birthday date. So March 9th = full credit for March, just like March 1st would. I applied in June for an August start date, received my first payment in September right on schedule, and it included every penny of delayed retirement credits I had earned. The online application process was much smoother than I expected, and specifying my exact benefit start month (August) was straightforward. You've already done the hardest part by having the discipline to wait until 70. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good at this point - apply in January/February for March 2025 and enjoy the financial security you've earned through your patience!