When to apply for Social Security at 62 with mid-year birthday and already hitting earnings limit?

Ur supposed to apply 3-4 months b4 you want checks 2 start. Thats what I did last year and got my first check the month after my bday. The limit thing is confusing, I think they prorate it for part year but not 100% sure

The Social Security Administration recommends applying about 3 months before you want benefits to begin. Since you turn 62 in September, you'd want to apply in June. Regarding the earnings limit: For the first year you claim benefits, SSA uses a monthly earnings test rather than the annual limit. For 2025, you can earn up to $1,860 per month without reduction in benefits ($22,320 ÷ 12). This means that even if you've earned over the annual limit before September, you can still receive full benefits for months where you earn under $1,860 (or don't work at all). Remember, Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month they're due, so your September benefit would arrive in October.

Be careful about applying exactly at 62!!!! Your benefit amount is PERMANENTLY REDUCED by about 30% compared to waiting until your Full Retirement Age!!!!! I wish someone had told me this before I applied. My neighbor waited until 67 and gets almost $800 MORE per month than I do!!!! Make sure this is really what you want to do.

yep, apply 3 months early. also remember u dont get a check ON ur birthday month - u get it the NEXT month. so turning 62 in sept means first check in october.

To address your earnings limit question more specifically: SSA uses what's called a "monthly earnings test" in your first year of retirement. For example, if you earn $100,000 by September, then retire and have $0 earnings for October, November, and December, you will still be eligible to receive full benefits for those three months regardless of how much you earned earlier in the year. The only months where benefits would be withheld are months where you earn above the monthly limit ($1,860 in 2025) AFTER you've started receiving benefits. Also remember that money withheld due to excess earnings isn't lost forever - it's recalculated when you reach Full Retirement Age and your monthly benefit is increased to account for those withheld months.

I went through this exact situation last year when I turned 62 in July! I had already earned way over the limit by April but still got my full payments for the rest of the year after I stopped working in June. The frustrating part was trying to reach someone at SSA to confirm this beforehand. I spent 2+ hours on hold multiple times and kept getting disconnected. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed that they only care about your monthly earnings after you start benefits, not what you earned before. Huge relief! The application process was pretty smooth once I got all my questions answered.

theres also somthing called the grace year rule that might apply 2 u but im not sure how it works exactly

does anyone know if the earnings limit counts investment income or only wages? I have some stocks I might sell and not sure if that counts toward the $22,320?

My sister waited TEN MONTHS for her first check because she didn't submit all the required documentation with her application!!! Make sure you have everything ready - birth certificate, tax returns, marriage/divorce papers, direct deposit info. The SSA website has a checklist.

One more tip: When you apply, SSA will ask if you want benefits to start at age 62 or if you want to specify a later month. If you select age 62, they'll automatically start your benefits at the earliest possible month - which is actually the month AFTER you turn 62. Benefits are paid in arrears, so your October payment covers September benefits. If you apply 3-4 months before your birthday as recommended, everything should process in time for you to receive your first payment in October. The online application is generally the fastest method.

Just want to add that you should also consider setting up a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already. This will let you track your application status online and avoid some of those long phone waits people mentioned. You can also use it to get an estimate of your monthly benefit amount at different claiming ages to help with your decision. Also, since you mentioned your HR department wasn't sure about the earnings rules, you might want to ask them about any employer benefits that could be affected by starting Social Security early - things like health insurance continuation or pension timing. Some employers have coordination rules that could impact your overall retirement income strategy.