Social Security retirement benefits start date - Should I choose my actual birthday or the first of the month?
Finally getting ready to retire in June and I'm confused about the start date for Social Security retirement benefits. I'll be 66 and 2 months (my FRA) on June 17th. When filling out the application online, should I select June 17th as my benefit start date, or should I put June 1st? Or does it automatically default to July 1st since I'm born mid-month? The SSA website wasn't clear, and I keep getting disconnected when I call the 800 number. I don't want to mess this up and delay my first payment! Has anyone dealt with this specific birthday situation before?
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NeonNova
Social Security benefits always start on the 1st of the month. Even if you select your actual birthday (June 17th), your first month of entitlement will be June, with payment arriving in July. Just know that SS pays a month behind - so July's payment covers June benefits. You might want to check on the SSA website under "When to Start Receiving Benefits" section for more details.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•Thanks! So even if I put my actual birthdate, the system will start my benefits from the 1st of that month? That's reassuring. Do you know if I'll get a full month's payment for June even though I'll only be at FRA for part of the month?
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Dylan Campbell
i just went thru this!! dont bother w/ the exact date, SS will start u on the 1st anyway. my bday is the 22nd and thats what they did for me
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•That's good to know, thanks for sharing your experience! Did you have any issues with your first payment coming through on time?
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Sofia Hernandez
When you file for Social Security retirement benefits, you're actually filing for a MONTH, not a specific day! I was so confused about this too. Whether your birthday is on the 1st or the 31st doesn't matter - your benefit month is the same. Also, keep in mind that your first payment will arrive THE MONTH AFTER your entitlement month. So if June is your first month of entitlement, your first payment comes in July. Hope this helps and congrats on retiring!!!!
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•this is right i think but there's actually an exception if ur birthday is on the 1st then u can get benefits for the month before!! my neighbor's bday is May 1 and he got April benefits. weird system lol
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Ava Thompson
Social Security has a specific rule about this. Benefits are paid for the PREVIOUS month (so your July payment covers June benefits). For your start date, since you're reaching FRA, you should select June as your month of entitlement. You'll receive full benefits even though you're at FRA for only part of that month. However, if you were filing BEFORE your FRA, you'd need to be careful as this could trigger early filing reductions if you earn above the earnings limit in those partial months. Since you're at FRA, you don't need to worry about the earnings test anymore.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•Thank you for this detailed explanation! So I'll get my first payment in July for the month of June, even though I only reached FRA partway through June. That's a relief! The earnings test was another concern, so I'm glad that won't be an issue once I reach FRA.
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Miguel Ramos
CAREFUL ABOUT THIS!!!!! I retired 2 years ago and had to wait MONTHS to get my first payment because I got confused about the dates. Make sure you apply 3-4 months BEFORE you want benefits to start! The online system is super confusing. I'd recommend calling them directly but good luck getting through - I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•I had the same frustrating experience trying to get through to someone at SSA about my retirement date question. After days of busy signals and getting disconnected, I found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an agent within 20 minutes. You might want to check out their demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me so much stress! Their site is claimyr.com if you're interested. Much better than spending weeks trying to get through on your own.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
my sister had her bday on the 15th and got really confused w/ all this too. ended up getting first payment a month later than she thought. just remember SSA pays a month behind! and deposit dates depend on ur bday - like if ur born on 15th u get paid on like 3rd wednesday or something weird.
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NeonNova
•You're right about the payment schedule. SSA pays benefits on different Wednesdays based on birth date: - 1st-10th: Second Wednesday - 11th-20th: Third Wednesday - 21st-31st: Fourth Wednesday So the OP with a June 17th birthday would typically receive payments on the third Wednesday of each month, starting in July for June benefits.
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Zainab Ibrahim
One important thing no one has mentioned - if you're still working when you start benefits, make sure you understand how that affects things. If you're already at your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you can earn unlimited income without reduction. But if you're starting benefits before FRA, there are earnings limits that could reduce your benefits temporarily. Just something to consider with your June retirement plan!
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•That's a good point, but fortunately I'll be at my FRA when I start collecting, so the earnings test won't affect me. I did read about that on the SSA website and was initially concerned about it.
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Dylan Campbell
dont 4get that SS pays based on when ur born in the month. like i get mine 2nd wednesday bc im born on the 8th. friend gets his on 4th wed bc hes born on the 29th. weird system
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Ava Thompson
•This is correct information about the payment schedule, but it doesn't address the OP's question about when benefits actually begin. The payment schedule (which Wednesday you receive payment) is indeed based on birth date, but that's separate from when entitlement begins, which is what OP was asking about.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
Thank you all for the helpful information! I'll go ahead and select June as my benefit start month since I'll be reaching my FRA in June. I understand now that I'll receive my first payment in July (for June benefits), and that payment will arrive on the third Wednesday since my birthday is on the 17th. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this!
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