When to apply for Social Security at 69 to maximize DRCs without waiting until 70?

You've got the basic idea right, but the timing works a little differently. Social Security pays benefits for the previous month, so your January benefit payment would arrive in February. If you want to start benefits effective January 2025, you should apply 2-3 months in advance, so October is perfect timing. To maximize your DRCs at 69, you'd want your benefit start date to be December (your birth month). Each month you delay past FRA (up to age 70) adds about 2/3 of 1% to your benefit amount, so by starting in December at 69, you'll have earned 36 months of DRCs (assuming your FRA was 66). When you apply, make sure to specify December 2025 as your benefit start month if that's what you want. The online application will ask you to select your start month.

My sister started her SS at 69 and half and she said the SSA office messed up her start date somehow and she lost 2 months of benefits! Make sure u talk to somebody on the phone don't just do it online thats my advice

The Social Security payment system works as follows: 1. Benefits are paid in the month FOLLOWING the month for which they are due 2. When you select December 2025 as your start month, your first payment will arrive in January 2026 3. Filing 3 months before your intended start date is recommended by SSA Also, be aware that your DRCs are calculated monthly (0.67% per month past FRA), so you'll get credit for every month you've delayed. If your FRA was 66, by claiming at 69 you'll have accumulated 36 months of DRCs, giving you 24% more than your FRA amount. And yes, applying in October for a December benefit start is perfect timing.

I just went through this exact thing last year! One thing nobody told me - if your birthday is late in the month like mid-December, you're considered 69 for the ENTIRE month of December as far as SS is concerned. I thought I needed to wait until after my actual birth date, but that's not the case. You get the same benefit amount whether you start on Dec 1st or Dec 31st since you're the same age for the whole month in their system. And yes apply now for December start date. When you do the online application there's a screen that specifically asks when you want benefits to begin - don't skip that part!

I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to a Social Security agent by phone before you submit your application. That way you can verify all the details and make sure you're selecting the right start date. I tried calling SSA directly for weeks and couldn't get through, but Claimyr connected me with an agent in under 10 minutes. You can see how it works in their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) and their website is claimyr.com. They're really helpful for situations like yours where you want to make sure everything is set up correctly the first time.

To directly answer your follow-up question: Yes, when applying online, there is a specific screen where you select your benefit start month. It's clearly labeled, but easy to miss if you're clicking through quickly. The option appears after you've entered your personal information. If you're concerned about missing it, you can save your application at any point and return to it later. The system will give you a re-entry number. Take your time with each screen and read carefully. And just to confirm - yes, applying in October for a December 2025 benefit start date means your first payment would arrive in January 2026.

DONT DO IT ONLINE!!!!! The online system is TERRIBLE!! I applied online and they somehow lost part of my application and it delayed my benefits by 4 months!!! And every time I called I got disconnected after waiting for hours!!! Go to the actual office in person if you can. The online system is a JOKE!!!

so wait i'm confused. does this mean if i turn 67 in april i can start getting my ss on april 1st and it counts the same as waiting till april 30th? thats a whole month of extra money!

my friend just did this and she said make sure u know exactly how much ur supposed to get because they made a mistake on her amount and she had to fight with them for months to fix it. print out ur earning record from the website before u apply that helped her prove they calculated wrong