Social Security payment timing after turning 62 in December - when will the February check arrive?
I'm turning 62 at the beginning of December 2024 and have submitted my application for early SS retirement benefits. Since I understand that Social Security is paid one month after the month you're eligible for, my first payment should arrive in February 2025. But I'm confused about WHEN in February I'll actually receive that first payment. Will it be deposited at the beginning, middle, or end of February? I'm trying to coordinate some bill payments and need to know exactly when that first deposit will hit my account. Does anyone here know the payment schedule for new retirees?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Social Security payments are distributed based on your birth date. If you were born between the 1st and 10th of the month, you'll receive your payment on the second Wednesday of the month. Born between the 11th and 20th? Third Wednesday. Born between the 21st and 31st? Fourth Wednesday. So your payment date in February will depend on what day in December your birthday falls.
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FireflyDreams
•Thank you! So if my birthday is December 4th, I'll get paid on the second Wednesday of February? That's super helpful - now I can actually plan my finances properly.
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Javier Morales
Just to add a little clarification to the previous comment - what they said is correct for people who started receiving benefits AFTER May 1997. If by some chance you had any eligible benefits before that date (which doesn't sound like your case), the payment would come on the 3rd of the month. Also keep in mind that the payment you receive in February will be for January's benefits, not December's. You won't be eligible for December benefits until you're 62 for the full month.
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Emma Anderson
•Actually thats not entirely right. For SS retirement benefits you need to be 62 for the ENTIRE month to get benefits for that month. So if the person turns 62 on December 1st, they'll be 62 for the entire month and get December benefits (paid in January). But if they turn 62 on December 2nd or later, they won't be eligible for December benefits at all - their first month of eligibility would be January (paid in February). The SSA considers you to attain an age the day BEFORE your birthday for benefit purposes.
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Malik Thompson
i got my first check direct deposited and it showed up at like 3am on the wedensday. But my neighbor gets a paper check and sometimes it comes a day or two after the wednesday its supposed to be there. depends on mail i guess
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FireflyDreams
•Thanks for the info! I'm definitely signed up for direct deposit, so hopefully mine will be right on time on that Wednesday morning.
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Emma Anderson
I want to point out something important that others haven't mentioned. The payment schedule is different if you're also receiving another type of benefit like Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you receive both SSI and retirement benefits, your payment schedule could be different. Also, if your birthday is exactly on the 1st of December, the SSA actually considers you to have attained age 62 on November 30th, which means you WOULD be eligible for December benefits (paid in January).
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FireflyDreams
•Oh that's interesting about the November 30th thing! My birthday is December 4th though, so I guess I'll be waiting for that February payment. I don't get SSI, just applying for regular retirement benefits.
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Isabella Ferreira
CALL THEM AND GOOD LUCK!!!! I spent TWO MONTHS trying to get through to someone at Social Security when my first payment didn't show up when it was supposed to!!! They kept putting me on hold for HOURS and then the call would drop!!! NOBODY EVER ANSWERS!!!!
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CosmicVoyager
•If you're having trouble getting through to SSA on the phone, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I used their service last month when I was dealing with an issue about my survivor benefits. They got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 30 minutes after I'd spent days trying on my own. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me so much frustration!
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Ravi Kapoor
My aunt just started getting her SS last year and she was so confused bc her friend got paid on a different day. Took her forever to figure out it was bc of their different birthdays lol
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Yes, that's a common source of confusion! People often don't realize the payment schedule varies based on birth date. It's a system SSA implemented to distribute their workload throughout the month rather than processing all payments at once.
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Malik Thompson
also remember ur getting less money by taking it at 62!! My brother took his at 62 and only gets like $1787 but if he waited til full retirement age he wouldve got like $2500!! Sometimes its better to wait if u can
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FireflyDreams
•Yeah, I know I'm taking a reduction by claiming early. I've done the calculations and for my situation, getting smaller payments now works better than waiting for the larger amount later. It's definitely a personal decision though!
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Javier Morales
One more thing to be aware of - if February 2025 will be your first payment, make sure you have a budget plan for January. Many new retirees are caught off guard when they retire in December but don't receive any payment until February. This creates a gap month with no income. Just wanted to mention this in case you hadn't factored it into your planning.
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FireflyDreams
•That's a great point and something I hadn't fully considered. I'll need to make sure I have enough savings to cover January entirely. Thanks for bringing this up!
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