Will Social Security backpay from application date or requested start date if approval takes months?

dont worry abt it! SS always pays from ur eligible date even if they take forever to approve u. thats what happened to me last year, they took 5 months to approve my retirement benefits but I got paid back to the date i put on my application. they'll send u one big payment for all the months they missed.

Yes, Social Security will pay you retroactively from your requested start date, not from when they approve your application. This is standard procedure. When they finally process your application, you'll receive a lump sum payment for all months between your start date and the approval date, followed by regular monthly payments after that. The technical term for this is "retrospective monthly benefits" (RMB). Just make sure you keep documentation of your application submission and the start date you requested as evidence in case there are any issues.

While SSA does typically backdate payments to your eligibility date, I'd strongly recommend checking your MySSA account weekly to monitor your application status. If you don't see movement after 2 months, you should definitely call. I had an issue where my application got stuck in the system and I had to call multiple times to get it resolved. After wasting weeks trying to get through on the main number, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to finally talk to someone who could tell me exactly what was happening with my application and when I could expect payment.

I got my backpay but it was taxed weirdly. Anyone know if lump sum backpayments are taxed differently than regular monthly SS payments? I think I got less than I should have.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DELAY ON PURPOSE!!! I had to wait 7 MONTHS for my first payment and nobody would tell me anything when I called. They WANT you to give up and die before they have to pay you. It's a SCAM after we pay in our whole lives. My brother-in-law died waiting for his benefits and they didn't even have to pay his backpay!!! WATCH OUT!!!

You might want to double check your Medicare enrollment too if you're signing up for that! Sometimes they process the SS retirement but the Medicare gets delayed and then you end up with a gap in health coverage. Happened to my sister-in-law.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance and advice! I feel much better knowing I'll get paid from my requested start date even if processing takes longer. I'll keep an eye on my MySSA account and follow up if I don't see progress in a couple months. And I'll double-check about Medicare too - I hadn't even thought about that part potentially being delayed separately.

My process was super fast, only took 2 weeks. Guess I got lucky!

Great question! I just went through this same situation last year. Applied in February for benefits starting in May, but they didn't approve me until August. I was so worried I'd lose those months of payments, but sure enough, they sent me a lump sum check for May, June, and July all at once when my first regular payment came through. The key thing is they go by your "entitlement date" (the start date you requested) not your approval date. Just keep checking your MySSA account every few weeks to make sure your application is moving through the system. If it seems stuck, don't hesitate to call - sometimes they need additional documentation and don't always notify you right away.

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm in a similar boat - applied two weeks ago for benefits starting in April, but the rep said it could take 3-4 months. I've been losing sleep worrying about missing those first few payments since I have bills timed around that start date. It's such a relief to know multiple people have confirmed they got their full backpay. I'm definitely going to set up regular check-ins on my MySSA account like everyone suggested. Thanks for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating these stressful situations!

I'm new here but facing the same situation! Just submitted my application yesterday for benefits starting in two months when I hit my full retirement age. The SSA office was packed and the representative mentioned they're experiencing significant delays. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like the backpay system is reliable even when processing takes forever. I'm going to bookmark this thread and follow all the advice about monitoring MySSA and keeping documentation. It's reassuring to know this community exists for people navigating these retirement benefit challenges. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories!

I'm going through this exact same process right now! Applied three weeks ago for benefits starting next month at my FRA, but was told processing could take 4-6 months. The anxiety about potentially missing those first payments has been overwhelming since I've already planned my whole retirement timeline around that start date. Reading everyone's experiences here is such a huge relief - it's clear that the backpay system really does protect people from losing benefits due to processing delays. I'm definitely going to start checking my MySSA account weekly and keep all my documentation organized. This community is amazing for sharing real experiences and practical advice. Thank you all for taking the time to help others navigate this stressful but important life transition!

Just applied for benefits. I'm living in Australia and it's all new to me! I'm guessing the SS payment will be a good Christmas bonus! Hahaha!

I'm currently going through this exact situation myself! Applied for retirement benefits last month with a start date of next month when I reach full retirement age. The SSA representative warned me about potential delays of 3-5 months due to current backlogs. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear that Social Security honors your requested start date regardless of how long processing takes. The fact that so many people have received their full backpay from their entitlement date really puts my mind at ease. I've already set up alerts to check my MySSA account regularly and I'm keeping copies of all my application documentation. It's wonderful to have found this community where people share their real experiences with these processes. The retirement transition is stressful enough without worrying about losing months of benefits due to administrative delays!

I'm currently in the middle of this process too! Applied about 6 weeks ago for benefits starting next month at my full retirement age, but they told me it could take 3-4 months to process. I've been really anxious about potentially missing those first payments since I've already started planning my retirement budget around that timeline. This entire discussion has been so helpful and reassuring - it's amazing to see so many real examples of people getting their full backpay from their requested start date regardless of processing delays. I had no idea the retrospective payment system was so reliable! I'm definitely going to start checking my MySSA account weekly like everyone suggests and keep all my documentation organized. It's such a relief to know I'm not alone in this stressful waiting period, and that the system really does protect us from losing benefits due to administrative backlogs. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences!

I'm also going through this right now! Applied for retirement benefits about a month ago with a start date of February when I hit my FRA, but was told processing could take 4-5 months. The waiting and uncertainty has been really nerve-wracking since I've already made plans to retire based on that timeline. This whole thread has been such a huge relief - seeing so many people confirm they got their full backpay from their requested start date even with long processing delays is incredibly reassuring. I had no idea how the retrospective payment system worked before reading everyone's experiences here. I'm definitely going to start checking my MySSA account regularly and keep all my application documents organized like everyone suggests. It's so comforting to know there's a community of people who understand exactly what this stressful process feels like. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories and practical advice!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation! Applied for my retirement benefits 5 weeks ago with a start date in 6 weeks when I reach full retirement age. The SSA representative warned me it could take 4-5 months to process due to their current backlog, which has had me really stressed about potentially missing those crucial first payments. Reading through everyone's experiences in this thread has been incredibly reassuring - it's wonderful to see so many real examples of people receiving their full backpay from their requested entitlement date even when processing took much longer than expected. I had no idea the retrospective monthly benefits system was so reliable before finding this discussion! I'm going to start checking my MySSA account weekly like everyone suggests and make sure I keep all my application documentation organized. It's such a relief to find this supportive community where people share actual experiences with these important processes. The retirement transition is stressful enough without worrying about losing months of benefits due to administrative delays. Thank you all for sharing your stories and practical advice!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just applied for my retirement benefits three weeks ago with a start date next month when I reach my full retirement age, but they warned me processing could take 4-6 months due to current backlogs. I've been so anxious about potentially missing those first few payments since I've already coordinated my entire retirement timeline around that specific date. Reading through all these reassuring experiences has been such a huge relief - it's incredible to see so many people confirm they received their full backpay from their requested entitlement date even when approval took much longer than expected. I had no idea how reliable the retrospective monthly benefits system actually is before finding this thread! I'm definitely going to start monitoring my MySSA account weekly like everyone suggests and keep all my application documentation organized. It's so comforting to know there's a supportive community of people who understand exactly what this stressful waiting period feels like. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences and practical advice - it makes such a difference knowing the system really does protect us from losing benefits due to administrative delays!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Just submitted my retirement application two weeks ago for benefits starting in May when I hit my FRA, but the representative told me it could take 4-5 months to process due to their current backlog. I've been really stressed about potentially missing those first few payments since I've already started making concrete retirement plans around that timeline. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's amazing to see so many real examples of people receiving their full backpay from their requested start date even when processing took much longer than expected. I had no clue about how the retrospective monthly benefits system worked before finding this thread! I'm definitely going to start checking my MySSA account weekly like everyone recommends and keep all my documentation organized. It's such a relief to find this community where people share actual experiences rather than just generic advice. The waiting and uncertainty is really nerve-wracking, but knowing that so many others have successfully navigated these delays gives me much more confidence. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share your stories and practical tips!

I'm currently going through this same process and feeling the exact same anxiety! Applied for my retirement benefits about 10 days ago with a start date in 7 weeks when I reach my FRA, but they told me processing could take 3-5 months due to their massive backlog. I've been losing sleep worrying about missing those first payments since I've already locked in my retirement date with my employer. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible for putting my mind at ease - seeing so many real examples of people getting their complete backpay from their requested entitlement date regardless of how long approval takes is such a relief! I had zero understanding of how the retrospective monthly benefits system actually works before stumbling across this discussion. I'm going to start doing weekly MySSA account checks like everyone suggests and make sure I have copies of all my application materials. It's wonderful to find a community where people share genuine experiences instead of just vague reassurances. The uncertainty of this waiting period is really tough, but knowing that the backpay system has worked reliably for so many people here gives me a lot more confidence that everything will work out as it should. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories - it makes such a difference!