When to apply for Social Security if retiring at 65 - first payment timeline confusion
My wife turns 65 at the end of March 2026 and wants to retire then. I'm trying to help her figure out the right start date for her Social Security application. Should she put April 1st, 2026 as her benefit start date? More importantly, would she get her first SS payment in April or May? We're trying to budget for that transition period and I'm confused about exactly when the first payment would arrive. I've read that SS pays a month behind, but does that mean she'd actually get nothing in April even if that's her start date? Anyone who's recently started receiving benefits that can explain how this worked for them?
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Kylo Ren
Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month they're due for. So if your wife's benefit start date is April 1st, 2026, she'll receive her first payment in May 2026 (on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of May, depending on her birth date). It's also important to know that SSA recommends applying about 3-4 months before you want benefits to begin. So if she wants April 2026 to be her first benefit month, she should apply around December 2025 or January 2026. One last thing - if she's turning 65, that's actually below her Full Retirement Age (FRA), which would be 67 for someone born in 1961. Starting benefits at 65 means she'll receive permanently reduced benefits - about 13.3% less than her full amount. Has she considered this in her retirement planning?
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Paige Cantoni
•Thank you for this detailed info. We didn't realize the payment comes a month after! And yes, we know about the reduction for taking it before FRA. She's actually planning to work part-time for a couple years after starting benefits, so we're also trying to understand the earnings limit. Would she still be under the earnings limit in 2026 if she makes around $25,000 from her part-time job?
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Nina Fitzgerald
my husband got SS last year and it was SUPER confusing!!! he applied in january but didnt get first payment till march... they never explained why. make sure you check her my social security account online every week after applying because sometimes they dont tell you if theres problems!!
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Paige Cantoni
•Thanks for the warning - I'll make sure we keep checking the account online. Did they at least backpay the missing month?
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Jason Brewer
I just went through this whole process. Here's what happens: if your wife's birthday is end of March 2026 and she applies for benefits to start April 1st 2026, she'd get her first payment in May 2026. The May payment covers April benefits. It's always one month behind. Also heads up - they pay according to birth date: - Born 1st-10th: payment on 2nd Wednesday - Born 11th-20th: payment on 3rd Wednesday - Born 21st-31st: payment on 4th Wednesday And yep - should apply 3-4 months before she wants benefits to start.
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Kylo Ren
•Great explanation about the payment schedule! And you're right about the one-month delay between the benefit month and the payment month - that trips up a lot of new retirees who are trying to budget for that first month.
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Kiara Fisherman
Just wanted to add that if your wife is turning 65, make sure she's also signing up for Medicare! That's separate from Social Security retirement benefits and the initial enrollment period is 3 months before her 65th birthday month through 3 months after. Missing that window can cause permanent penalties on Medicare Part B premiums.
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Paige Cantoni
•Thanks for the reminder! Yes, we've got that on our calendar too - planning to enroll in Medicare around December 2025.
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Liam Cortez
Have you tried calling the Social Security office directly? I had a similar question last year and was on hold for HOURS trying to get through. After three disconnected calls, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live SSA agent in under 20 minutes! You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - I was skeptical but it actually worked and saved me so much frustration. The agent I spoke with explained exactly when my first payment would arrive and answered all my other questions.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•omg yes!!! i tried calling for DAYS and couldnt get through. wish i knew about this earlier!!!
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Savannah Vin
One thing nobody mentioned yet - SS benefits are paid for the PREVIOUS month. So April benefits are paid in May. BUT there's a quirk - you're not eligible for a benefit for the first month unless you're eligible for the ENTIRE month. Since your wife's bday is at end of March, she turns 65 during March, meaning she's not 65 for the entire month of March. So March can't be her first month of benefits, April would be her first eligible month, paid in May.
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Paige Cantoni
•Ah! That makes sense and explains the confusion I was having. So she'll be eligible for April benefits (paid in May) because she'll be 65 for the entire month of April. Thank you!
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Mason Stone
I HATE how the SSA makes this so complicated!!! When I retired last year at 66 I got NO PAYMENT the first month I thought I would! They never explain this clearly on their website or when you apply! And then good luck getting anyone on the phone! I spent TWO WHOLE DAYS trying to reach someone! By the time I finally got through I was so annoyed I could barely be civil! Why can't they just TELL PEOPLE upfront that your first payment comes A MONTH AFTER your benefit start date???
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Jason Brewer
•I feel your pain! The whole system seems designed to confuse people. My retirement counselor at work didn't even understand how the payment timing worked. SSA really should make this more clear in their materials.
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Nina Fitzgerald
wait isnt 65 early for SS now?? i thought full age was like 67 or something? my sister took it at 65 last year and said she got less money than waiting
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Kylo Ren
•You're correct. For anyone born in 1960 or later, Full Retirement Age is 67. Taking benefits at 65 means receiving approximately 13.3% less than the full benefit amount. Taking benefits at 62 (the earliest possible age) reduces them by about 30%.
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Paige Cantoni
Thanks everyone for the helpful information! So to summarize what I've learned: If my wife turns 65 in late March 2026 and wants to start benefits in April 2026, we should: 1. Apply around December 2025 or January 2026 (3-4 months before) 2. Understand her first payment will arrive in May 2026 (for April benefits) 3. Be aware she's taking benefits before her Full Retirement Age (67), so they'll be reduced 4. Keep track of her earnings if she works part-time to stay under limits 5. Make sure to also apply for Medicare during her initial enrollment period This has been really helpful for our planning. We'll definitely be budgeting for that one-month gap now that we understand the payment schedule better.
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Savannah Vin
•Perfect summary. One other thing to keep in mind is that in 2026 your wife will be subject to the earnings limit if she works. In 2023 the limit was $21,240 for people under FRA, and it goes up slightly each year with inflation. For every $2 she earns above that limit, they'll withhold $1 in benefits. Just something to budget for if she's planning to work part-time.
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