Social Security timing question - applying in March for July benefit payment while managing final paychecks
I'm turning 67 in June and trying to figure out the exact timeline for my Social Security retirement benefits. I want my first payment to arrive in July, so I'm planning to apply in March for a June 1st benefit start date (since I understand SS payments come the month after eligibility). Two concerns I have: 1) Is my timeline right? Apply in March → June start date → July first payment? 2) I need to stop working before my benefits start because I'll be earning well above the monthly limit ($2,460/month). If my last day is May 15th but my final paycheck (about $5,800) arrives in June, will this mess up my June benefits? Would I be better off making sure my last paycheck arrives in May? I'm trying to coordinate everything so I don't accidentally trigger any benefit reductions or delays. Thanks for any advice!
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Oliver Schulz
Your timing is correct. You can apply up to 4 months before you want benefits to begin. If you apply in March for a June start date, your first payment would arrive in July (SS pays a month behind). Regarding the work issue - what matters is when you EARN the money, not when you're paid. So if your last day of work is May 15th, but you get paid in June for May work, that counts as May earnings. The earnings test looks at when you performed the work, not when the check arrives. Since you're turning 67 (which I'm assuming is your Full Retirement Age), the earnings test won't apply anymore once you reach that age anyway. So if your 67th birthday is in June, any earnings after that won't affect your benefits regardless.
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Amina Diallo
•Thank you! That's a huge relief about the earnings vs. payment timing. So even if my final paycheck for May work comes in June, it counts for May's earnings? That makes planning much easier. One more question - my birthday is June 23rd. Since I'll reach FRA that month, does that mean I'm subject to the monthly earnings test for just part of June, or does reaching FRA anytime in June exempt me from the earnings test for the whole month?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
be careful bout ur application!!! I appied 3 months before and they messed up my start date so check EVERYTHING they send u. and call them if anythng looks wrong
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Amina Diallo
•Oh that's concerning! Did you eventually get it sorted out? I've heard the SSA phone lines are nearly impossible to get through.
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AstroAdventurer
You're mostly on track but there's an important point about your FRA (Full Retirement Age). Since you're turning 67 in June, that means June is your FRA month. During the month you reach FRA, there's a special higher earnings limit of $4,710 (for 2025). After that, the earnings test goes away completely. So here's what this means for you: - January-May: Regular monthly limit applies ($2,460/month in 2025) - June: Higher FRA-month limit applies ($4,710 for the whole month) - July onwards: No earnings test at all Since your birthday is June 23rd, what happens in June depends on when exactly you earn money that month. If your last day worked is in May, then you have $0 earnings for June and you're fine. But remember - as the previous commenter said - it's when you EARN the money that counts, not when you're paid.
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Amina Diallo
•Thank you for that detailed explanation! So the month I turn FRA (June) has that special higher limit of $4,710. Since I plan to stop working in mid-May, I shouldn't have any June earnings to worry about. That makes me feel better about the timing.
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Javier Mendoza
I had the exact same concerns last year when retiring. Let me save you hours of frustration trying to reach SSA by phone. I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent clarified everything for me - confirmed exactly when I needed to stop working to avoid issues with my payments. Totally worth it for peace of mind on something this important.
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Emma Wilson
•is this a real thing? seems sketchy to have someone else call SS for u
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Javier Mendoza
•They don't call for you - they just help you skip the hold queue. You still talk directly to the SSA representative yourself. I was skeptical too but it worked exactly as advertised. Way better than calling for days and getting nowhere.
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Malik Davis
DONT FORGET ABOUT TAXES!!!! If you're getting a big final paycheck, that might bump up your INCOME for the year which could make more of your SS benefits TAXABLE!!! This happened to me and I ended up owing the IRS an extra $1,200!! You might want to have extra withholding on that final check!!!!
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Amina Diallo
•I hadn't even thought about the tax implications. That's a good point. I'll talk to my employer about increasing the withholding on my final paycheck. Thanks for the warning!
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Isabella Santos
One thing I learned when I retired - make sure you think about healthcare coverage too. If you're stopping work in May but not 65 yet, you need to figure out what you'll do for healthcare until Medicare kicks in. My company let me stay on their plan until Medicare started but I had to pay the full premium.
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Amina Diallo
•Thanks for bringing that up. Fortunately I'm already on Medicare since I turned 65 a couple years ago, so healthcare coverage isn't an issue for me. But that's definitely something people need to plan for!
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Oliver Schulz
Just to clarify the FRA month earnings limit since there seems to be some confusion. In the month you reach FRA, you can earn up to $4,710 (2025 figure) without any benefit reduction. After that point - meaning from your actual birthday forward - there's no limit at all. So technically, you could earn $4,710 in June before your birthday (June 23rd) and then earn unlimited amounts after June 23rd with no reduction. But since you're not planning to work in June anyway, this is just FYI. Also, when you apply, make sure you specify June 1st as your benefit start date. Don't just say "June" or they might set it for the month after.
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Amina Diallo
•That's SUPER helpful about specifying June 1st exactly. I would have probably just said "June" and then been confused when things didn't work as expected. I'll definitely make sure to be specific about wanting June 1st as my start date when I apply in March.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
my friend applied online & it was way easier than going to the office. took like 15 mins
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Emma Wilson
can someone explain what FRA means? i keep seeing it in this thread
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AstroAdventurer
•FRA stands for Full Retirement Age - the age when you can receive your full Social Security retirement benefit. It's 67 for people born in 1960 or later, 66 and some months for people born 1943-1959. Before FRA, there are limits on how much you can earn from work without reducing your benefits. After FRA, there's no earnings limit.
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Amina Diallo
Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm feeling much more confident now about my retirement timeline. To summarize what I've learned: 1) I'll apply in March for benefits to start June 1st (being very specific about this date) 2) My first payment will arrive in July 3) Since I'll stop working in mid-May, I don't need to worry about June earnings 4) I need to consider tax implications of my final paycheck 5) When I apply, I'll double-check all the paperwork to make sure the start date is correct If I run into any issues reaching SSA by phone, I'll check out that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Thanks again for all your advice!
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