Social Security timing question: Collect in same month as FRA or wait until following month?

The Social Security Administration always pays benefits for the PREVIOUS month. So your November payment (which you'd receive in December) would be reduced slightly because you weren't FRA for the entire month. December would be your first full month at FRA, and you'd get that payment in January. If you want your FULL benefit amount with no reduction, you should apply for benefits to be effective December 1.

I had similr situation but mine was the 20th. I ended up waiting til next month just to be safe and got full amount. SS can be confusing!!!

There's actually a special rule for this exact situation. Social Security treats you as having attained your age for the entire month if your birthday falls on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd of the month. Since your FRA date is the 15th, you would NOT be considered at FRA for the entire month of November. Therefore, if you want your full benefit amount with no reduction, you should select December 1 as your benefit start date when you apply. The payment for December benefits would arrive in January. If you select November 1, you'll receive a slightly reduced benefit because you're only at FRA for part of November.

Has anyone actually tried calling SSA to get this clarified? I've been trying to get through for DAYS on the 800 number about my own benefit question and it's impossible to reach anyone. Always get the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message and then they hang up!

IMHO this whole system is designed to be confusing on purpose!! I got different answers from 2 different SSA reps about similar question for my hubby. ONE MONTH makes a difference in $$$ FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Crazy!

Actually, with FRA specifically, the amount is prorated by month. So if your FRA is November 15th, and you take benefits in November, you'd get approximately half of the reduction that would apply for someone claiming one month early. It's not a huge amount, but over a lifetime, it adds up. The cleanest approach is to just apply for benefits effective December 1 (which you'll receive in January). That way, you're clearly at your FRA and entitled to 100% of your benefit.

To clear up any confusion: For retirement benefits, if you start benefits in the exact month you reach FRA, your benefit will be calculated based on the number of days in that month before you reached FRA. For example, with FRA on November 15: - If you select November 1 as your start date, your benefit would be reduced by about 1/2 of one month's early retirement reduction (roughly 0.25-0.3%) - If you select December 1, you get your full benefit with no reduction For most people, waiting until the month after FRA (December 1 in your case) makes the most sense, especially if you want to ensure you get your full PIA amount.