When applying for Social Security retirement benefits, do you specify month and day or just month?

You only need to specify the month, not the day. Social Security retirement benefits always begin on the first day of whatever month you select. The application just asks for the month and year. Keep in mind that your first payment will come the month AFTER your benefits start (so if you select September 2025, your first payment would arrive in October).

just applied last month and yes you only put the month not the day. they actually dont even ask for a day on the form

My brother applied last year and they messed up his start date somehow. He wanted January but they started him in February! He had to call like 20 times to get it fixed. Make sure you print out confirmation pages!!

When I talked to SSA about this recently, they explained that retirement benefits are always effective the first day of a month, regardless of when in the month you were born. The only exception is if you're born on the 1st of the month - then you can actually get benefits for the month before your birthday month. So your application will only ask for month/year, not a specific day.

Anyone else spending HOURS trying to get through to SSA to ask simple questions like this? I needed to ask about my application start date too and spent 3 days trying to reach someone! Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - way better than the constant busy signals and disconnects I was getting before.

Does anyone know how this works if I change my mind about the start month after submitting my application? Let's say I apply now specifying September 2025, but later decide I want to start in October instead. Is that difficult to change?

One more important thing about the month selection: if you're filing BEFORE your Full Retirement Age, be extremely careful about which month you select. The earnings test could significantly reduce your benefits if you're still working. You need to calculate your projected earnings carefully against the annual limit ($22,750 in 2025 for those below FRA the entire year). This gets very complicated very quickly if you're still working!

Just want to add that if you're planning to apply for September 2025 benefits, you can actually submit your application up to 4 months in advance (so as early as May 2025). This gives SSA plenty of time to process everything and ensures your benefits start on time. I learned this the hard way when I applied too close to my desired start date and had to wait an extra month. The online application at ssa.gov walks you through everything step by step and clearly shows you're only selecting month/year, not specific days.

I just went through this process myself a few months ago and can confirm what others have said - you only select the month, not a specific day. The SSA online application is pretty straightforward about this. One thing I'd add is to double-check your birthdate on file with SSA before applying. I discovered mine had a typo from decades ago (wrong birth year!) which would have caused major delays. You can create a my Social Security account online to verify all your information is correct before starting the application process. Also, make sure you have all your documents ready - W-2s, tax returns, bank account info for direct deposit, etc. Having everything organized beforehand makes the application much smoother.

Great question! I'm in a similar boat - turning 67 next year and getting ready to apply. From everything I've researched and heard from friends who've been through this, you only need to specify the month, not the day. The SSA system automatically defaults to the 1st of whatever month you choose. What I found really helpful was attending one of the free Social Security workshops at my local library - they walked through the entire application process and confirmed that benefits always start on the first day of the month regardless of your actual birth date within that month. Since you're reaching FRA in September, you have the advantage of not worrying about the earnings test if you're still working. Good luck with your application!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you definitely only need to specify the month! I was in the exact same situation last year (turned FRA in October) and was overthinking the whole process. The online application literally just has dropdown menus for month and year, no day selection at all. One tip I'd add is to make sure you understand the timing of your first payment. Since benefits are paid the month after they're earned, if you start benefits in September 2025, your first payment won't arrive until October. Also, the actual date you receive your monthly payment depends on your birth date - if you were born between the 1st-10th, you get paid on the second Wednesday of each month; 11th-20th gets the third Wednesday; 21st-31st gets the fourth Wednesday. This threw me off at first because I expected my payment on the 1st of each month! The whole process was much simpler than I anticipated though.

As someone who works as a benefits counselor, I can confirm everything that's been shared here is accurate! You only select the month, not a specific day. The SSA application form doesn't even have a field for the day because all retirement benefits automatically begin on the 1st of the selected month. One additional tip I'd offer: when you're ready to apply, consider doing it online at ssa.gov rather than in person or by phone. The online application saves your progress automatically, so you can take your time and come back to it if needed. It also gives you immediate confirmation of what you've submitted. Just remember that applying 3-4 months before your desired start date gives you the best chance of having everything processed smoothly and on time.

I went through this exact same process earlier this year and can confirm what everyone is saying - you only specify the month, not the day! The application form literally doesn't have a field for entering a specific day because all Social Security retirement benefits automatically start on the 1st of whatever month you choose. Since you're reaching FRA in September 2025, you have the luxury of not worrying about the earnings test if you're still working. One thing I'd recommend is creating your my Social Security account online first to verify all your personal information is correct (especially your birth date and earnings record) before starting the actual application. This can prevent delays if there are any discrepancies. Also, don't forget that your first payment will arrive in October since benefits are paid for the previous month. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I stopped overthinking it!

I'm glad I found this thread! I'm in a similar situation - turning FRA next year and was getting confused by all the different information I was finding online. It's really reassuring to see so many people confirming that you only need to specify the month, not the day. I was worried I'd somehow mess up the application by not being specific enough about dates. The tip about applying 3-4 months in advance is especially helpful - I was planning to wait until closer to my desired start date, but it sounds like giving SSA plenty of processing time is the smarter approach. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who recently helped my mom through this process. She was also confused about the day specification, but like everyone else has confirmed, you only select the month! The SSA representatives we spoke with explained it very clearly - retirement benefits are standardized to always begin on the 1st of the month, regardless of when your birthday actually falls within that month. What I found most helpful was calling SSA directly about 6 months before her desired start date just to ask questions and get familiar with the process. Yes, it took some patience to get through, but the representative was incredibly helpful in walking us through what to expect. One thing they emphasized was having all your documents ready before starting the online application - tax returns, W-2s, marriage certificate if applicable, and your direct deposit information. The whole experience taught me that SSA really has streamlined this process quite a bit, and the online application is much more user-friendly than I expected. Don't stress too much about it - you've got this!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm turning 67 in August 2025 and have been putting off dealing with the Social Security application because I was intimidated by all the details. Reading through everyone's experiences has really demystified the process for me. It's such a relief to know that I only need to specify the month and that the online application is straightforward. I especially appreciate the tips about applying 3-4 months early and creating the my Social Security account first to verify all my information. The payment timing explanation was also really valuable - I had no idea about the Wednesday payment schedule based on birth date! I feel much more confident now about moving forward with my application. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and taking the stress out of this process!