When to apply for Social Security if retiring at 64 in December 2024?

You should apply about 3 months before you want your benefits to begin. Since you're working until December 25, 2025, you'll want your benefits to start January 2026. So applying in October 2025 is ideal. Keep in mind that Social Security pays benefits a month behind, so January benefits arrive in February. And when you apply, select January 2026 as your benefit start month. Regarding the earnings limit - if you're 64 in 2025, you'll be subject to the lower earnings limit until the month you reach full retirement age. For 2025, this will likely be around $22,000 annually (it's $21,240 for 2024). Since you're working until late December, make sure your annual earnings don't trigger a significant benefit reduction.

I did the EXACT same thing last year!!! Applied at 64 and retired Dec 15th. The SSA rep told me to apply 3 months before BUT they got everything MESSED UP and I didn't get my first payment until MARCH even though I applied in OCTOBER!!!! Make SURE you check your MySocialSecurity account EVERY DAY after you apply to see if they need more documents. They never called me or emailed me when they needed more proof and that caused a 2 month delay!!!

just wanted to add that social security benefits are paid on different days depending on your birthday. if your birthday is between 1-10, you get paid on 2nd wednesday. bdays 11-20 get paid 3rd wednesday. bdays 21-31 get paid 4th wednesday. so plan for that too

When I retired early at 63, I ran into a problem with the earnings test since I had already earned over the limit in January-March before I stopped working. You need to look at your total 2025 earnings. If you've earned more than the annual limit (probably around $22,000 for 2025), you might not get any benefits for January 2026 because SSA looks at your annual earnings for the year you retire. However, there's a special rule for the first year of retirement that might help. If you completely stop working (or earn less than the monthly earnings limit), you can receive full benefits for those months regardless of your annual earnings. You should definitely ask about this when you apply. Also, you mentioned your last day is December 25, 2025, but you want to retire December 31, 2025. Are you taking vacation days for those final days? If so, when will those vacation days be paid out? That could affect when your income actually counts.

I got so frustrated trying to reach someone at Social Security when I retired last year! I tried for TWO WEEKS calling every day and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Totally worth it for something as important as retirement benefits. The agent I spoke with explained exactly when to apply and answered all my questions about the earnings test. Apparently there's a lot of confusion about how it works when you retire mid-year.

To address your question about the gap between your last paycheck and first SS payment - this is normal and something you should budget for. Social Security benefits for January are paid in February. This is because they pay benefits for a completed month. So even if you apply perfectly on time (3 months before), there will be at least a one-month gap between your last paycheck and first SS payment. Regarding the earnings test that others mentioned: For 2025, if you stop working in December, SSA will look at your total earnings for the year. However, they do apply the special rule for the first year of retirement, which means you can receive benefits for any month you're considered retired (earning below the monthly limit or not performing substantial services if self-employed), regardless of your annual total. Since you're stopping work on December 25th, you won't receive any benefits for December 2025 (since you worked most of that month), but you should be eligible for full benefits starting January 2026, even if your 2025 annual earnings exceeded the limit.

My sister applied 3 months early like they say to do and STILL had problems!!! They lost her application and she had to start all over!!! Then they calculated her benefit wrong and she's been fighting for 8 months to get it fixed!!! The system is BROKEN!!! Don't expect anything to go smoothly with these people!!!

One more thing to consider - since you're retiring at 64, have you thought about health insurance coverage? Medicare doesn't start until 65, so you'll need to bridge that gap somehow. Some options: 1. COBRA from your employer (expensive but straightforward) 2. ACA marketplace plan (might qualify for subsidies) 3. Spouse's insurance if applicable This isn't directly related to your Social Security application timing, but it's a critical piece of early retirement planning that catches many people by surprise.