Social Security backdating at age 70 - June or July filing confusion?

When you turn 70, you can't actually backdate to just any date you want. The SSA allows backdating for up to 6 months when you're past your Full Retirement Age (FRA). Since you'll be turning 70 in June 2025, the furthest back you could go would be December 2024, not all the way to June/July 2024. When you file, you'll get benefits effective with the month you specify, but remember benefits are paid the month after they're due. So if you backdate to December 2024, that payment would arrive in January 2025 (and you'd get all backdated amounts in a lump sum).

i turned 70 last year and let me tell u i thought the same thing!! but what happened was they only let me go back 6 months when i applied. wish someone told me before i waited so long lol

There's a critical misunderstanding here. Social Security's 6-month backdating limit is indeed correct, but there's another important factor: delayed retirement credits stop accruing at age 70. If you turn 70 in June 2025 and apply then, you should request a start date of January 2025 (effectively December 2024, since your first payment would be for January 2025). This gives you your maximum possible benefit. The real issue is that if you wait until June 2025 to apply, you'd potentially lose payments from January-June 2025 if you don't specifically request backdating. You don't permanently lose your maximum benefit calculation - you just might miss out on months of payments if you don't handle the application correctly.

Actually that's not quite right either. Let me clarify the correct information: 1. Delayed retirement credits stop accruing the month you turn 70 2. You can backdate your application up to 6 months (but not beyond the month you reached full retirement age) 3. If you turn 70 in June 2025, your benefit amount stops growing after May 2025 4. When you apply, you should specify June 2025 as your start month unless you want to sacrifice some of your maximum benefit by starting earlier The confusion might be about payment timing - you apply in June, request June as your start month, but the actual payment for June arrives in July 2025.

I went thru this EXACT situation last year!!!! The SSA agent I talked to was SOOOO confusing about it all. I turned 70 and didn't apply right away (big mistake). Then when I did apply they said I could only get 6 months of back pay. I WAS FURIOUS!!! They should tell people this stuff BEFORE we lose benefits!!!

My sister had such a mess with her application last year trying to backdate. She couldn't reach anyone at Social Security for weeks. She finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent right away. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Saved her so much frustration when she needed to sort out her backdating issue.

To clarify the whole backdating situation once and for all: 1. Delayed retirement credits max out at age 70 2. If you apply AT age 70, you simply select your 70th birthday month as your start date 3. If you apply AFTER turning 70, you should backdate to the month you turned 70 4. The 6-month backdating limit means if you wait more than 6 months after turning 70, you'll permanently lose some benefits For the original poster turning 70 in June 2025: - If applying in June 2025: select June 2025 as start month - If applying July-December 2025: backdate to June 2025 - If applying January 2026 or later: backdate as far as you can (likely only able to go back 6 months), but you'll lose some payments Does that help clear things up?

my uncle said he got a YEAR of back pay when he filed at 70 not just 6 months. i think it depends on the office or maybe the rules changed???

One final tip: when you do apply in June 2025, apply early in the month rather than waiting until the end. This gives SSA time to process your application so your payments start without delay. Benefits are paid the month after they're due, so your June benefit would arrive in July. And make sure to set up direct deposit during your application to speed things up.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone approaching 70 myself (turning 70 in September), I've been stressing about the timing and backdating rules. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the key is to apply right when you turn 70 to avoid any complications. One question though - does anyone know if there are any differences in processing times depending on whether you apply online vs. in person vs. by phone? I'm wondering if one method might be faster or more reliable for getting everything set up correctly at age 70.

Great point about applying early in the month! I've been reading through all these responses and I think I have a much clearer picture now. Just to summarize what I've learned for my situation: - Apply right when I turn 70 in June 2025 (not before, not after) - Select June 2025 as my start month - Apply early in June to allow processing time - Use online application for convenience - Set up direct deposit during application The backdating confusion makes so much more sense now - it's really only relevant if you delay applying past your 70th birthday. Since I plan to apply right when I turn 70, I shouldn't need to worry about backdating at all. Thank you everyone for all the detailed explanations! This community has been incredibly helpful in clearing up what seemed like a really complex topic.

As someone who just went through this process myself (turned 70 last month), I can confirm that applying right at 70 is definitely the way to go! I submitted my online application about 2 weeks before my birthday and everything went smoothly. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here - make sure you have all your documents ready before you start the application. You'll need your Social Security card, birth certificate, and W-2 forms or tax returns from the previous year. Having everything organized ahead of time made the online process much faster. Also, don't stress too much about making mistakes on the application - there's a review step before you submit, and the SSA will contact you if they need any clarification. The most important thing is just getting it submitted close to your 70th birthday so you don't miss any payments!

This has been such an educational thread! I'm 68 and have been wondering about the timing for my own application in a couple years. One thing I'm curious about that hasn't been mentioned - does the month you were born in matter at all for the application timing? Like if someone turns 70 early in June vs late in June, would that affect when they should apply or their benefit start date? I want to make sure I understand all the nuances before my time comes. The advice about having documents ready and applying a couple weeks early seems really practical too.

This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! As someone who's 69 and turning 70 in August, I've been losing sleep over the backdating rules and timing. Reading through everyone's experiences and explanations has really put my mind at ease. What I'm taking away is that the backdating confusion mostly comes from people who wait too long after turning 70 to apply. Since I plan to apply right in August when I turn 70, I should just select August as my start month and not worry about backdating at all. One small thing I wanted to add - for anyone else in a similar boat, I called the SSA general number last week just to confirm my earnings record was accurate, and they mentioned that you can also check your benefit estimate online through your my Social Security account. It's helpful to know exactly what to expect before you apply, especially since we're all maxed out on delayed retirement credits at 70. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here. This thread should definitely be pinned or saved as a reference for others approaching 70!