When does Social Security pay first retirement benefit after February application?

Social Security pays benefits for the month before, so your February benefit would arrive in March. They pay on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month, depending on your birth date: - If born on the 1st-10th: Second Wednesday - If born on the 11th-20th: Third Wednesday - If born on the 21st-31st: Fourth Wednesday Since you said you just applied, you might not get your first payment on the regular schedule. It could take up to 90 days to process your application, though often it's faster.

Don't be surprised if your application takes longer than expected. SSA is SEVERELY understaffed right now! I waited 4 months for my first check despite being told it would take 4-6 weeks. The biggest issue was trying to call them to check on status - spent hours on hold only to get disconnected. Completely frustrating!!!

Oh no, that's concerning! I was really counting on getting that money in March. Is there any way to speed up the process? Should I try calling them to make sure everything's moving along?

I used SS's 'Check Your Application Status' feature on mySSA account online. No need to call in most cases, just login and you can see exactly where things stand. That worked fine for me when I filed last year.

my dad got his first payment 6 weeks after applying and it included back pay for the partial month. they prorate it from the date you're eligible i think? not sure tho

Anyone know if they'll automatically set up the direct deposit?? I just applied too and I put my banking info in the application but I'm worried they might mess it up and mail a check instead. The local office is impossible to get through to!

One more thing to keep in mind - since this is your first payment, don't forget about Medicare premiums if you've enrolled. They'll automatically deduct your Part B premium (currently $174.70 for most people in 2025) from your Social Security payment. Sometimes people are surprised when their first check is less than expected because of this.

Congrats on retiring! Hope you get your payment quickly!

Congratulations on filing for your benefits! Just to add some clarity to the timeline - while processing can sometimes take longer as others mentioned, many straightforward retirement applications are actually processed much faster now, often within 2-4 weeks if you have a good earnings record and filed online. Since you turned 67 last month and are at full retirement age, your case should be pretty straightforward. You can also track your application status through your my Social Security account online, which usually updates more frequently than calling. Keep an eye on your account - you might be pleasantly surprised how quickly it moves! And yes, you'll get the full February benefit paid in March once approved, no partial payments.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I went through this exact same process last year! I applied online in January at age 67 and received my first payment about 5 weeks later in March (for February benefits). The key things that helped speed up my process: 1) Made sure all my W-2s and tax info was up to date in their system beforehand, 2) Double-checked that my direct deposit info was correct in my mySSA account, and 3) Didn't call unless absolutely necessary since that seemed to slow things down. The online status tracker was actually pretty accurate - it went from "pending" to "approved" about a week before I got my first deposit. Since you're at full retirement age and filed online, you're in a good position for faster processing. Fingers crossed you see that payment sooner rather than later!

I went through this same process about 6 months ago and wanted to share what helped me get accurate information. While waiting for processing, I found that creating a my Social Security account online (if you don't already have one) was invaluable. Not only can you track your application status there, but you can also see your estimated benefit amount and payment schedule once approved. One thing that caught me off guard was that your first payment date depends on when your application gets fully processed, not just when you applied. So even though you applied in February, if processing takes a few weeks, your first payment might still follow the normal schedule based on your birth date (sounds like that would be the third Wednesday for you). The good news is that once you're in the system, payments are very reliable. I'd recommend checking your online account every few days rather than calling - the phone wait times are brutal and the online info is usually more current anyway.

I just went through this process myself about 3 months ago and wanted to share what actually happened vs. what I expected. Applied online in November at age 67, and my first payment came exactly 6 weeks later in January (for December benefits). The mySSA portal was really accurate - it showed "under review" for about 3 weeks, then switched to "approved" about a week before my first deposit hit. Since you applied in February and you're already at full retirement age, you're likely looking at your first payment sometime in late March or early April for February benefits. The key thing I learned is that while some people do experience long delays, most straightforward retirement cases at full retirement age actually process pretty smoothly when filed online. Don't stress too much about the horror stories - just keep checking your online account every few days for status updates!

Based on my experience working with Social Security applications, here are a few additional tips that might help while you're waiting: First, make sure you've received a confirmation email with your application receipt number - save this as you'll need it if any issues arise. Second, if you haven't already, consider setting up text or email alerts in your mySSA account so you'll be notified immediately when your status changes. Third, since you mentioned budgeting concerns, remember that your February benefit (paid in March) will be a full month's payment regardless of when in February you applied - Social Security doesn't prorate retirement benefits. Finally, if you do need to contact them for any reason, try calling right at 8 AM when they open - wait times are typically shortest then. Given that you're at full retirement age and applied online, you're in the best position for smooth processing. Most applications like yours are approved within 3-6 weeks, so hang in there!

Welcome to the Social Security community! As someone who just went through this process recently, I wanted to offer some reassurance. I applied online at 67 in December and received my first payment about 5 weeks later. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, but since you're at full retirement age and applied online, you're in a great position for relatively quick processing. A few things that helped me: keep checking your mySSA account regularly (the status updates there are usually more current than calling), make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your profile, and try not to stress about the horror stories - most straightforward cases like yours process much faster than the worst-case scenarios you hear about. Your February benefit should arrive in March once approved, and it'll be the full monthly amount regardless of when in February you applied. Hang in there - you're likely just a few weeks away from seeing that first deposit!