When exactly should I apply for Social Security at age 70 with a June birthday?
I'm trying to plan ahead for filing for my Social Security retirement benefits at age 70 (maximum delayed retirement credits). My birthday is on June 25th, and I'm confused about the exact timing for application. Should I go to the SSA office on June 1st, wait until my actual birthday on the 25th, or actually apply sometime in May? I've heard benefits start the month after you apply, but I don't want to leave money on the table by applying too early or too late. Does anyone know the optimal application date to ensure I get my first payment as soon as possible after turning 70?
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Miguel Ramos
You're smart to plan ahead! For someone turning 70 in June, you should apply in March. SSA recommends applying about 3 months before you want benefits to begin. Since you turn 70 in June, your benefits would start that month (you get your first payment in July since SS pays a month behind). If you wait until your actual birthday to apply, you'd likely miss getting your June payment on time and might have to wait for back pay. Remember that the SSA defines your benefit month based on your birth date. Since you were born on the 25th, you're eligible for your full benefit starting in June.
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Ava Thompson
•Thank you for this info! So even though my birthday is on the 25th of June, I'd still be eligible for the full benefit amount for the entire month of June? I was worried I might only get a partial payment for June since I'm not 70 for the whole month.
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Zainab Ibrahim
my sister waited til her actual bday to apply and had to wait almost 2 extra months to get her first check. dont make that mistake
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StarSailor
•Same thing happened to my brother-in-law. The backpay eventually came through but it was a hassle. The SSA is so backed up these days.
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Connor O'Brien
I just went through this exact scenario last year!! My birthday is May 18th and I applied in February thinking I was being smart by applying early. BIG MISTAKE!! The SS agent entered everything wrong and it took me 4 additional months to get my first payment! The system is completely broken and nobody there seems to know what they're doing!!! I spent HOURS on hold every time I called to check on my application status. Just be prepared for a complete nightmare no matter when you apply.
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Yara Sabbagh
•I'm sorry you had such a difficult experience. While there can certainly be complications, most applications do process smoothly. For the OP: The official guidance is to apply 3 months before you want benefits to begin, so for a June birthday with benefits starting in June, applying in March is ideal. You can apply online at ssa.gov/applyforbenefits or by scheduling an appointment at your local office.
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Keisha Johnson
When I turned 70 last year, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach a live Social Security agent quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. Saved me so much time and frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with told me that for age 70 claims, you should apply 2-3 months before your birth month. Since your birthday is June 25th, applying in March or early April would be perfect timing. That gives SSA enough time to process everything so your payments can start immediately in June (paid in July).
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Ava Thompson
•I've never heard of this service before - does it really work? I've tried calling SSA multiple times in the past for other questions and always get stuck on hold forever. I'll check out that video.
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Paolo Rizzo
this is actually one of those tricky social security rules! for normal retirement (62-FRA) you have to be careful about the earnings test but for 70+ it's different. you actually want to apply the month BEFORE your birth month to get maximum benefits. you'll get delayed retirement credits (DRCs) up to age 70 so you want those to kick in right away. if you apply in May, you'll get the June payment (which comes in July). if you wait until June 25th to apply, you'd risk missing that first payment or having it delayed. so in your specific case, i'd apply in May.
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Miguel Ramos
•Just to clarify - you don't need to apply the month before. SSA's official guidance is to apply 3 months before you want benefits to start. For someone turning 70 in June who wants benefits to start in June, applying in March is recommended. Applying in May wouldn't cause any issues with DRCs, but it gives SSA less processing time, which could potentially delay the first payment.
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Ava Thompson
Thank you all for the helpful responses! Sounds like I should plan to apply in March for my June benefits. I had no idea I needed to do it that far in advance. I'll put a reminder on my calendar now so I don't forget.
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Keisha Johnson
•Good plan! Just remember that if you do run into any issues or delays when you apply, don't spend hours on hold. I can't recommend Claimyr enough for getting through to SSA quickly. It saved me so much frustration when I had questions about my application status.
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StarSailor
Wait I'm confused - I thought Social Security automatically starts at 70 even if you don't apply? My neighbor said you don't even need to apply because they start it automatically? Is that wrong?
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Yara Sabbagh
•That's incorrect. Social Security benefits never start automatically at any age. You must apply for retirement benefits regardless of whether you're claiming at 62, full retirement age, or 70. The only exception is if you're already receiving Social Security benefits of some type (like disability) that automatically convert to retirement benefits at certain ages.
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Zainab Ibrahim
btw if you do go to the ssa office bring EVERYTHING with you - birth certificate, ss card, photo id, tax returns, everything!!! they always ask for something you dont have
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Ava Thompson
•Good advice - I'll make sure to gather all my documents well in advance. Better to have everything and not need it than be missing something critical!
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