Social Security timing question - FRA at 66 and 8 months, when should I apply for April start date?

You're correct about your FRA being 66 and 8 months for someone born in July 1958. SSA recommends applying about 3-4 months before you want benefits to begin, so applying in February for April benefits is actually cutting it a bit close. I'd suggest applying in January to be safe. The application process takes time, and you want to make sure everything is processed before your intended start date. Remember that Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month they're due for, so your April benefit would be paid in May.

im born in 1958 too and already got mine started last year. i applied 2 months before and it was fine but cutting it close. they do backpay if theres a delay but why risk it? just do it early

I APPLIED 4 MONTHS BEFORE AND GOOD THING I DID!!! SSA LOST my application the first time!!! Had to redo everything and barely got my payments started on time. Don't trust them to process things quickly - the system is a MESS right now with all the baby boomers retiring. Apply as early as you can, their website says you can apply up to 4 months before. Why risk delays???

Just to add some clarification here: For someone born in July 1958, your Full Retirement Age is indeed 66 and 8 months, which you would reach in March 2025. Social Security benefits always begin the month after you reach the required age, so your first month of eligibility at FRA would be April 2025. The SSA officially recommends applying 3-4 months before you want benefits to begin. You can apply online at ssa.gov or schedule an appointment at your local office. Make sure you have the following ready: birth certificate, Social Security card, tax records from the previous year, and bank account information for direct deposit. Also, remember that your first payment would come in May 2025, as benefits are paid the month after they're due. This timing is important for your financial planning.

I went through this exact situation last year (though with a different FRA). I tried for weeks to get through to SSA by phone to ask questions about my application and kept getting disconnected or facing hours-long wait times. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes. Saved me so much frustration! There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the agent told me my application had some issues that would have delayed my payments if I hadn't called. So definitely apply early AND follow up before your intended start date.

A bit off topic but have you considered not taking it right at your FRA? My financial advisor told me that for every year I delay past FRA (up to age 70), I get an 8% increase in benefits. That really adds up! Just something to think about if you don't need the money immediately.

wait i'm confused do u get full benefits at 66 or 66 and 8 months? i thought everyone got full SS at 65?

One more important thing to consider: Since you're planning to apply in early 2025, make sure you understand how any earnings from work in 2025 might affect your benefits if you're still working. There's no earnings limit after you reach your FRA, but if you earn income in the months before reaching your FRA in March 2025, there are earnings limits that could temporarily reduce your benefits. For 2024, the limit is $59,520/year (or $4,960/month) for the months before you reach your FRA, and they deduct $1 for every $3 you earn above that limit. The 2025 limits will likely be slightly higher due to COLA adjustments.

Just wanted to share my recent experience as someone who also has a July 1958 birth date! I applied in December 2024 for my April 2025 start date, so about 4 months early. The online application took me about 45 minutes to complete, and I received confirmation within a few days. One thing that really helped was having all my documents scanned and ready before I started - W-2s, tax returns, bank info, etc. I also printed out the confirmation pages immediately after submitting. So far so good, but I plan to follow up in February to make sure everything is on track. The peace of mind from applying early is definitely worth it!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone with the exact same birth month going through this process right now. I was leaning toward applying in January, but your December timeline gives me even more confidence to apply early. The 45-minute application time is helpful to know too - I was wondering how long it would take. I'll definitely follow your advice about having documents scanned and ready, and printing confirmation pages. Did you apply online or did you go to a local office? I'm debating which route to take.

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can confirm that applying 3-4 months early is absolutely the right approach. I'm born in June 1958 (so same FRA as you), and I applied in November 2024 for my March 2025 start date. The online application was surprisingly smooth, but I'm so glad I didn't wait until the last minute because SSA requested additional documentation about 3 weeks after I submitted - they needed verification of my military service from the 1980s. If I had applied later, that delay could have pushed my benefits past my intended start date. One tip: create a my Social Security account online first if you haven't already, as it makes the application process much faster and you can check your application status anytime. Also, double-check that your earnings history is accurate before applying - I found a small discrepancy that took a few weeks to resolve.

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm in a similar situation (born August 1958, so FRA at 66 and 8 months) and was planning to wait until closer to my target date to apply. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going to apply much earlier than I originally planned. The stories about lost applications, documentation requests, and processing delays are eye-opening. I especially appreciate the detailed document checklist and the tip about creating a my Social Security account first. One question - for those who applied online, did you receive any kind of estimated timeline for processing, or do you just have to wait and follow up periodically? I'm trying to plan my timeline and want to know what to expect after I submit.