When will my Social Security check arrive if I start benefits on April 6 - May or June?
Quick question about SS benefit timing that's got me confused. I'm planning to start collecting Social Security on April 6th this year. Would my first actual payment arrive in May or would I have to wait until June? I'm trying to figure out if I need to wait until a full complete month has passed after my start date, then get the check the following month (which would be June). My budget planning depends on knowing exactly when that first payment hits my account. Thanks for any help!
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Santiago Martinez
Social Security benefits are paid in the month FOLLOWING the month they're due for. So if you start collecting in April, your April benefit would be paid in May. But since your start date is April 6th, that first check will be prorated for only part of April (from the 6th onward). Hope that helps with your budget planning!
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Natalie Chen
AuthorThanks! So I'll definitely see something in May then? Even though I'm starting partway through April?
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Samantha Johnson
It depends on your birthday actually! Social Security pays benefits based on birth date now: - Born 1st-10th: Second Wednesday - Born 11th-20th: Third Wednesday - Born 21st-31st: Fourth Wednesday So your first payment would be in May, but the exact date depends on your birthday. And yes, it will be prorated from April 6th, not for the full month.
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Natalie Chen
AuthorOh! My birthday is actually November 14th. So I guess that means I'd get paid on the third Wednesday of May for my partial April benefit?
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Nick Kravitz
Speaking from experience, YES you will get your first check in MAY! I started my SS retirement on Feb 12 last year, and got my first payment in March. It was prorated for the partial month. They don't make you wait a full month + another month. The payment is for April, paid in May. That's how it works!!
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Hannah White
That wasnt my experience AT ALL!!!! When I filed they took FOREVER to process and I ended up waiting almost 3 months before I saw a penny. Don't count on anything arriving when it should with SSA these days!!!
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Michael Green
If u filed ur application already, ur good. If not, file ASAP! They can backdate retirement up to 6 months but only if u ask for it. First check in May for sure but prorated.
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Natalie Chen
AuthorI haven't filed yet but plan to this week. I didn't know about the backdating option - interesting! But I don't need to go back, April works for my situation.
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Mateo Silva
Just wanted to add that you should double-check your payment method with SSA. Direct deposit arrives faster than paper checks. I missed a payment because they had my old address and the check went missing. Make sure all your info is updated before your first payment to avoid delays!
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Victoria Jones
OMG trying to get them on the phone to update payment info is IMPOSSIBLE these days. I spent 3 days calling SSA and kept getting disconnected or put on eternal hold. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it for avoiding the phone nightmare! Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to fix my direct deposit.
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Hannah White
Watch out for the earnings limit if your still working!!! If your under FRA (full retirement age) and make over $21,240 in 2025 they will take back $1 for every $2 you earn over that amount. MANY people don't know this and get SHOCKED when SS demands money back!!!
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Samantha Johnson
This is an important point about the earnings limit. Just to clarify, if you're reaching your Full Retirement Age in 2025, the limit is higher - $56,520 for the months before reaching FRA. And once you reach your FRA, there's no earnings limit at all.
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Nick Kravitz
One more thing to know - if you file on April 6th, your payment date will be based on your birthday as others mentioned, but your actual benefit amount is based on the month. So even though you're starting on the 6th, you'll get credit from April 1st. Social Security doesn't prorate by days within a month - they pay by full month once you've filed within that month.
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Natalie Chen
AuthorWait, really? So even though I'm filing on April 6th, I'd actually get the FULL April payment, not just from the 6th onward? That would be great news for my budget!
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Samantha Johnson
No, that's not correct. If your benefit start date is April 6th, your first month WILL be prorated. You only receive benefits for the days of the month you're entitled to them. The person above is confusing the application date with the benefit start date.
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Drew Hathaway
@Samantha Johnson is correct here. I went through this exact situation last year when I started benefits mid-month. Social Security definitely prorates your first payment based on your actual start date, not from the 1st of the month. So if you file with an April 6th start date, you ll'only get paid for April 6th through April 30th in your May payment. Don t'want you to budget expecting a full month s'payment when it will be less!
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