Will SS include 2025 income in my benefit calculation with December birthday turning 70?

Yes, SSA will include your 2025 earnings in your initial benefit calculation when you file in January 2026, even though your tax return for 2025 won't be completed yet. This is because employers report your wages to SSA quarterly, so they'll have records of your 2025 earnings through electronic wage reporting. They don't wait for your tax return to be filed. The benefit amount will be recalculated automatically once your complete 2025 earnings are verified (after you file taxes), and any adjustment will be made retroactive to your first payment. This ensures you get credit for those final 2025 earnings that might replace a lower year in your top 35.

Be careful about this! My father turned 70 in November last year and SSA did NOT include his final year earnings in his initial calculation. They used outdated income and his first 3 months of payments were $78 lower than they should have been. It took FOUR CALLS to get them to fix it, and even then they only adjusted it after he submitted his W-2. The retroactive payment came 5 months later. The whole system is broken. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and expect to have to fight them on this!!!

Actually, i'm going through this exact situation right now. Born Dec 1955, claimed in Jan 2026. The SSA representative told me they CAN use 2025 earnings even before your tax return is filed, but HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART - you need to bring recent pay stubs or a statement from your employer documenting your 2025 earnings when you apply. Don't assume they'll have the most current info from quarterly reporting. I brought my last paystub showing YTD earnings and they were able to input that info on the spot. Made a difference of $124/month in my case since it knocked out a zero-earning year from the 1980s.

Been trying to reach SS for 2 weeks about a similar issue with my PIA calculation (Primary Insurance Amount). Was on hold for over 2 hours yesterday and got disconnected TWICE! So frustrating! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed they CAN use 2025 earnings for someone turning 70 in December 2025. They said the key is to provide proof of those earnings when you apply in January 2026.

I work for a benefits counseling service, and this is a common question. Here's the technical answer: When you file in January 2026, SSA will calculate your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) using their most current earnings data. For 2025, they'll use whatever has been reported by your employer through their electronic wage reporting system. After your 2025 taxes are processed (usually by late summer 2026), SSA automatically recomputes your benefit to include the fully verified 2025 earnings. If this results in a higher benefit, you'll receive a retroactive adjustment back to your filing date. In your case, since you're turning 70 in December 2025, filing in January 2026 is optimal timing. You'll receive your maximum DRCs (Delayed Retirement Credits) and your 2025 earnings will eventually be included in your benefit calculation.

why not just delay filing until after you do your 2025 taxes in april? then there's no confusion and SS will have all your earning info upfront.

SSA counts ur earnings up to the year before u file benefits i think. my uncle just went thru this whole mess and SSA told him something different every time he called lol

Thank you all for the helpful responses! Based on what everyone has shared, my plan is to: 1. Apply in January 2026 as originally planned 2. Bring my final 2025 paystubs to the SSA appointment as proof of my earnings 3. File my 2025 taxes as early as possible in 2026 4. Keep documentation of everything in case I need to follow up It sounds like the system should work automatically to include my 2025 earnings, but it's good to be prepared with documentation just in case. I appreciate all the advice!