Social Security at age 70 - starting on birthday (16th) vs. first of next month - will I lose benefits?

You dnt lose anything! SS pays for the entire month no matter what date. So if your bday is the 16th, you get paid for the whole month of July even though you were 69 for half of it. Thats how it worked for my husband anyway.

The previous comment is incorrect. Social Security retirement benefits are paid for the month FOLLOWING the month of entitlement. Your entitlement month would be July (the month you turn 70), so you would receive your first payment in August for July's benefits. You do NOT get partial month payments - it's always a full month. So if you apply for benefits to start the month you turn 70 (July), you'll get the full month benefit for July paid in August. If you wait and apply for benefits to start in August, you would lose a month's worth of benefits (not just 15 days). I recommend applying 3-4 months before you want benefits to begin. Since you want July, you should apply very soon if you haven't already.

Ugh Im SO frustrated with social security right now too!!! I turned 62 last week and tried to get retroactive benefits but theyr saying i cant go back 6 months because its retirement not disability???? This whole system is ridiculous and nobody answers the phones EVER.

As others have mentioned, Social Security benefits are paid for the entire month of eligibility regardless of which day in the month you become eligible. You become eligible for your age 70 benefits in July (the month of your 70th birthday). One important clarification: You actually receive your July payment in August. SS pays benefits in the month following the month for which they are due. This means: 1. Apply for benefits to start in July (your 70th birthday month) 2. You'll receive your first payment in August (for July's benefits) 3. The payment will be for the full month of July, even though you turned 70 on the 16th If you accidentally request an August start date, you would indeed lose an entire month of benefits - not just 15 days. Remember to apply about 3-4 months before you want benefits to start.

After trying like 50 times to reach someone at SSA about my widows benefits, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in 20 minutes! claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Saved my sanity after being disconnected so many times. The agent was able to confirm everything about my start date and the retroactive payment.

I remember my neighbor was telling me his dad hit 70 and was getting the run around from SS. Tried to reach them for MONTHS and couldn't get through. Finally just went to the office but had to wait 4 hours!!!! Make sure u apply early cuz even when u get it right they can take forever to process!!!!!

One thing nobody has mentioned - make sure you check if you're eligible for 6 months of retroactive benefits after reaching FRA (Full Retirement Age). But be careful - this ONLY applies if you're past your FRA but haven't yet filed. At age 70, you could potentially get up to 6 months of retroactive benefits, but they would be at a slightly reduced rate compared to the age 70 amount. In your specific case, I would NOT recommend taking retroactive benefits since you've waited until 70 to maximize your benefit amount. Filing with July as your benefit month is the optimal choice.

Just wanted to add my experience from when I turned 70 last year - I applied online about 2 months before my birthday and it went smoothly. The online application asks you to specify your "month of election" which should be the month you turn 70 (July in your case). One tip: when you apply online, there's a section where you can upload documents. Even though it's not always required, I uploaded my birth certificate and W-2s just to speed up processing. My first payment came right on schedule the month after my birthday. Also, don't stress too much about the exact wording on the application - as long as you select July as your benefit start month, you'll get the full month regardless of your birthday being the 16th. The system is designed to handle this automatically.

I'm also approaching 70 and have been researching this exact question! From what I've learned through the SSA website and talking to others, you definitely want to apply for July as your benefit start month. The system doesn't prorate benefits - you get the full month even if your birthday is mid-month. One thing I discovered is that you can actually apply online up to 4 months in advance, which helps avoid the phone wait times you've experienced. The online application at ssa.gov/retire2/apply.htm walks you through selecting your "month of election" - just choose July and you'll be all set. I applied about 3 months before my birthday and it was much less stressful than trying to call. Also, just to echo what others have said - your first payment will arrive in August for July's benefits, but it will be the full monthly amount calculated at your age 70 rate. Don't second-guess yourself by waiting until August 1st as your start date - you'd lose an entire month of benefits that way. Hope this helps and congratulations on reaching 70!

I just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in benefits counseling. The advice you've received here is spot-on - definitely apply for July as your benefit start month. What I often tell my clients is to think of it this way: Social Security doesn't care what day of the month you turn 70, only what month. Since you become eligible for maximum benefits in July (the month you turn 70), that's when your entitlement begins, and you receive the full month's payment. One additional tip that might help ease your application anxiety: when you apply online, you'll see a question about your "desired month of entitlement" or "month you want benefits to begin." This is where you select July 2024. The system will automatically calculate your payment amount based on your age 70 rate for that entire month. Also, since you mentioned trouble reaching SSA by phone, I'd strongly recommend applying online if possible. The online retirement application is actually quite user-friendly and you can save your progress if you need to gather documents. You can find it directly at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/apply.html. Best of luck with your application!