When to apply for Social Security with July birthday and FRA of 66 and 8 months?

For someone born in July 1958 with an FRA of 66 and 8 months, your FRA would actually be in March 2025. So if you want benefits to begin at your exact FRA, you should apply about 3 months before March, which would be December 2024. The SSA recommends applying 3-4 months before you want your benefits to begin. This gives them time to process your application without causing delays in your payments. If you apply in November, that's fine too - 4 months ahead is perfectly reasonable.

i applied 2 months b4 my bday and got my 1st check the month after no problem. they ask u when u want benefits 2 start so dont worry about getting reduced benefits if u dont want them

Just to expand on what others have said, when you complete your application online or with an agent, you'll be specifically asked when you want your benefits to begin. You can apply up to 4 months before your FRA and clearly indicate you want benefits to start at your FRA, not earlier. Something important to understand: If you were born on the 1st-10th of July, you'd receive your first payment in April 2025. If born on the 11th-20th, you'd receive it in May 2025. If born on the 21st-31st, you'd receive it in June 2025. This is because Social Security pays benefits the month after they're due, and they're paid based on your birth date. So even though your FRA is in March 2025, when you'll actually receive your first payment depends on your specific birth date within July.

My sister went through this last year and she said the whole process was pretty smooth. She applied about 3 months before her FRA and everything worked out fine. Just make sure you have all your documents ready - birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, tax returns, etc. Makes the process go much smoother!

GOOD LUCK trying to actually REACH someone at Social Security if you have questions when filling out the application!!!! I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get through on the phone. Either busy signals or disconnected after waiting 2+ hours. Absolutely RIDICULOUS how they expect seniors to deal with this system!!!

My birthday is also in July and I have the same FRA as you! I just applied last month and everything went smoothly. They did ask when I wanted benefits to start and I made sure to tell them at my FRA. The online application was actually easier than I expected!

One other thing to keep in mind: if you're still working when you reach your FRA, there's no earnings limit once you hit that 66 and 8 months mark. Before FRA, there's a limit to how much you can earn without having benefits reduced ($22,320 in 2025 with $1 deducted for every $2 earned above the limit). But starting the month you reach FRA, you can earn any amount without reduction. So if you're planning to work past your FRA, you definitely want to be clear about your benefit start date being exactly at your FRA or later to avoid any potential earnings test issues.

dont 4get to think about taxes 2... up to 85% of SS can b taxable if ur other income is high enough

After reading all these comments, I want to share my experience. I applied exactly 3 months before my FRA and specifically told them I wanted benefits to start at my FRA. Everything went perfectly - no reduced benefits, no delays. The SSA representative confirmed multiple times that my benefits would start at my FRA, not before. I'd recommend applying in December for your March FRA, and make sure you clearly indicate when you want benefits to begin.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works part-time for SSA - when you apply online, there's a very clear section where you select your desired benefit start date. You can literally choose the exact month you want benefits to begin, so there's no risk of accidentally getting early/reduced benefits if you're careful with that selection. The system won't automatically start your benefits early just because you applied early. Also, if you're unsure about anything during the online application, you can save it as a draft and come back to it later, or call the 1-800-772-1213 number (though as others mentioned, patience is required with wait times). The key is being very explicit about wanting benefits to start at your FRA in March 2025 when you reach that question in the application.

I went through this exact same situation last year! Born in July 1958 with FRA of 66 and 8 months. I applied in November 2024 for benefits to start in March 2025, and everything worked perfectly. The key thing is when you fill out the application (I did it online), there's a specific section where you choose your benefit start date. I selected March 2025 and made sure to double-check that selection before submitting. One tip - when you get to that part of the application, take a screenshot of your selection for your records. I also printed out my confirmation page that showed my chosen benefit start date. Got my first payment right on schedule with no reductions. The 4-month advance application window gave SSA plenty of time to process everything without any rush or delays.

I'm in a very similar situation - born in July 1958 with the same FRA of 66 and 8 months. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I was also worried about the timing and accidentally getting reduced benefits. Based on what everyone has shared, especially those who've been through this exact process, it sounds like applying 3-4 months ahead (November or December 2024) is the sweet spot. The key seems to be being very clear about selecting March 2025 as your benefit start date when you fill out the application. I really appreciate Giovanni's tip about taking a screenshot of the benefit start date selection - that's brilliant for keeping records. And it's reassuring to hear from Liam who works at SSA that the online system has clear safeguards to prevent accidentally starting benefits early. One question I have - for those who applied online, how long did it take to get confirmation that your application was processed and approved? I'm trying to plan my timeline for peace of mind.

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can definitely relate to your anxiety about the timing! I was born in July 1958 as well and had the same concerns about accidentally getting reduced benefits. I ended up applying online in early December 2024 for my March 2025 FRA start date. The online application was actually much more straightforward than I expected. When you get to the section about when you want your benefits to begin, it's very clear - you can select the exact month and year. I chose March 2025 and the system even had a confirmation screen that showed my selection. One thing that really helped ease my mind was calling the SSA number (1-800-772-1213) about a week after I submitted my online application, just to confirm they had received it and that my benefit start date was correctly recorded as March 2025. Yes, the wait time was long (about an hour and a half), but the representative was very helpful and confirmed everything was processed correctly. The key is just being very deliberate about that benefit start date selection. The system is designed to prevent the exact mistake you're worried about - it won't automatically start your benefits early just because you applied early. Take your time with that section of the application and double-check your selection before submitting. You're smart to plan ahead and ask these questions now. Applying in December will give you plenty of time for processing without any stress about delays affecting your first payment.

I'm in almost the exact same boat as you! Born in July 1958 with FRA of 66 and 8 months, planning to retire right before my FRA in March 2025. I've been reading through all these responses and they've been incredibly reassuring. What really stands out to me is how many people with our exact situation have gone through this successfully. The consensus seems clear: apply 3-4 months ahead (so November or December 2024), be very deliberate about selecting March 2025 as your benefit start date in the online application, and document everything. I love the practical tips people have shared - taking screenshots of your benefit start date selection, setting up your online Social Security account beforehand to track application status, and even calling after submission to confirm everything was recorded correctly despite the wait times. The fact that multiple SSA insiders and recent applicants have confirmed the online system has clear safeguards against accidentally starting benefits early really puts my mind at ease. It sounds like as long as we're careful with that benefit start date selection, we can't go wrong with the timing. Thanks for starting this thread - it's been incredibly valuable for those of us navigating this exact situation!