When will I get my first Social Security check if my FRA is April 15th?
Just turned 66 and 2 months which is my full retirement age (FRA) according to SSA, and my official FRA date falls on April 15th. I'm planning to apply for my retirement benefits but I'm confused about the timing. When's the earliest I can submit my application? And more importantly, when should I expect to see my first payment? Will my first Social Security check be for April since that's when I reach FRA, or is there some weird delay I should know about? The SSA website wasn't clear about this specific situation. Thanks in advance for helping this retirement newbie!
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Nia Thompson
You can apply up to 4 months before your FRA date, so you could apply right now. However, your first payment will cover the first FULL month you're eligible - so you'd get your first payment in May (which covers April benefits). Social Security pays a month behind, and they don't do partial months. So even though your FRA is April 15th, your first check would arrive in May (usually the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday depending on your birth date).
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Luca Esposito
•Thanks for the clear explanation! So I won't miss out on any benefits by applying now, right? And does that mean I'll get my first direct deposit on May 8th, 15th, or 22nd depending on when I was born?
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Mateo Rodriguez
Just to add some specifics to what's already been explained - Social Security payment dates are determined by your birth date: - Born 1st-10th: Second Wednesday (May 8th) - Born 11th-20th: Third Wednesday (May 15th) - Born 21st-31st: Fourth Wednesday (May 22nd) And yes, you can apply up to 4 months before FRA, so you're in the perfect window right now. The first payment arrives the month after eligibility begins. Since you reach FRA in April, your first payment would be deposited in May on your scheduled Wednesday.
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Aisha Abdullah
•I got so confused with all this when I signed up last yr!! My FRA was june 16 and I applied in arpil like they said and then NOTHING came in june and I panicked. Called SSA like 50 times couldnt get thru. Finally got my first check in JULY. nobody explained the month behind thing to me!
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Ethan Wilson
Watch out for taxes!!! Nobody told me that up to 85% of your SS benefits could be taxable if your other income is high enough. Had a NASTY surprise at tax time last year!!! Just sayin.
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Luca Esposito
•Oh geez, I hadn't even thought about the tax implications. Thanks for the heads up! Might need to talk to my tax guy about this.
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NeonNova
Everyone's telling you to apply 4 months early but I waited till the exact month of my FRA and had zero problems. Got my payment right on schedule the next month. Why rush it? Just apply in April and you'll get paid in May.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•There's no disadvantage to applying early within that 4-month window, but waiting until the last minute creates risk of processing delays. The SSA recommends applying 3 months before you want benefits to begin, which helps ensure everything is processed on time.
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Yuki Tanaka
I had a complete nightmare trying to get through to SSA when I needed to apply last year. Spent literally WEEKS trying to reach someone. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and hanging on hold. Just thought I'd share since you'll probably need to talk to someone about your application anyway.
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Luca Esposito
•That's actually really helpful! I was worried about the phone wait times. I'll check out that video. Did they help you understand when your payments would start too?
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Yuki Tanaka
•Yes, the agent I reached explained everything - when my benefits would start, how much I'd receive, and how the payment schedule works. Much easier than trying to figure it out from the website! Definitely worth it for peace of mind.
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Aisha Abdullah
my sister in law got her first check the SAME MONTH as her birthday bc she was born on the 2nd!!! the rules are all diffrent depending on when ur born i think
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Nia Thompson
•That's not correct. The payment schedule doesn't change based on what day of the month you were born. Your sister-in-law likely applied months in advance, and her first eligible month happened to line up with her birth month, but she still received payment the following month. Social Security always pays a month behind.
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Carmen Diaz
Does anyone know if the 4-month early application rule is the same for spousal benefits? My wife is turning FRA in June and wants to apply for benefits on my record.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Yes, the same timeframe applies for spousal benefits. She can apply up to 4 months before she reaches her FRA in June. Just make sure you're already receiving benefits or filing at the same time, as she can't receive spousal benefits unless you're entitled to retirement benefits.
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Luca Esposito
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to go ahead and apply now so everything's in place for my May payment. Really appreciate all the detailed explanations about the payment schedule too. I'll check out Claimyr if I run into any issues getting through on the phone.
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