Will my Social Security payment date change if I switch from survivor to retirement benefits?

my payment date DID change when i switched from my ex's record to my own!!! nobody told me it would happen either and i had late fees on all my bills that month. so frustrating.

There is indeed an exception for this situation. According to SSA rules, once you've established a payment date on ANY benefit, that date remains the same even if you switch to a different benefit type. This policy was implemented to avoid exactly the kind of disruption your neighbor mentioned. The payment schedule is based on your birthdate when you FIRST apply for benefits, but after that, it becomes locked in regardless of what benefit type you receive. I've helped several clients through this transition and can confirm the payment date stays consistent.

The payment date SHOULD NOT change when you switch from one benefit type to another. This is a common misconception, but the SSA maintains your established payment cycle to avoid disruption to beneficiaries' financial planning. However, I've seen cases where local offices made mistakes during the transition. When I switched from disability to retirement benefits, they accidentally reset my payment date, and it took three calls to get it fixed. I'd recommend calling SSA directly to confirm before you make the switch. You might be on hold for a long time though - when I tried last month I waited over 2 hours and never got through. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent within 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - definitely worth it to avoid the stress of waiting for hours.

I'm a retirement planner who works with Social Security issues daily. The official rule is that your payment date does NOT change when switching benefit types. This is referred to as the "established payment cycle" rule in SSA's internal guidelines. However, I've seen several cases where payment dates DID change due to administrative errors. The problem is that different benefits are often processed by different departments, and sometimes the payment date information doesn't transfer correctly. When you apply to switch benefits, specifically ask the representative to note in your file that your payment date should remain unchanged. Then check your mySocialSecurity account after processing to verify the payment date before your first payment on the new benefit is scheduled.

I'm going through the same thing right now. Switched from my disability to retirement when I turned 67 in January. My payment date stayed exactly the same (3rd Wednesday). But they did mess up the amount at first and I had to call three times to get it straightened out. The whole system is so confusing!

Wait i just realized i might be wrong in my first comment. thinking back, i think my payment didnt actually change dates when i switched benefits. what happened was they skipped a month during the transition so it FELT like the date changed. there was like a 6 week gap between payments with no warning and thats why all my bills were late. so maybe the actual day of the month stayed the same but they still messed me up

Just to add something important: make sure you verify the switch is actually beneficial for you. At 65, you'll face a reduction for claiming your own retirement before your Full Retirement Age (66+10 months if you were born in 1959). Calculate carefully whether the higher benefit amount, even with the reduction, exceeds your survivor benefit. Sometimes it's better to wait until your FRA to make the switch. The SSA representatives can help you compare the exact numbers.

I work at a local SSA field office and can clarify this confusion. The official policy is that your payment date should NOT change when switching benefit types - you keep your established cycle. However, there are two common issues that cause problems: 1) Processing delays that can create gaps between payments (like Tyrone experienced), and 2) Administrative errors where the payment date accidentally gets reset during the transition. When you apply to switch, explicitly ask the representative to confirm your payment date will remain the 3rd Wednesday and have them document this in your file. Also budget for a potential 4-6 week gap between your last survivor payment and first retirement payment, even though the actual payment dates should stay consistent. This transition period varies by office workload.

I switched from widow's benefits to my own retirement benefits about 3 years ago and my payment date stayed exactly the same - 2nd Wednesday of the month. However, I did experience what some others mentioned about there being a gap between payments during the transition. I think it was about 5 weeks between my last widow's payment and first retirement payment, which caught me off guard since nobody warned me about it. The SSA rep I spoke with was helpful and confirmed in writing that my payment date would remain unchanged, which gave me peace of mind. I'd definitely recommend getting that confirmation in writing when you make the switch, and like others have said, keep some extra money set aside just in case there's a processing delay. Good luck with your transition!

I'm currently receiving survivor benefits and will be eligible for my own retirement benefits next year. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the official policy is that payment dates shouldn't change, but there are definitely real-world issues that can happen during the transition. The advice about getting written confirmation and budgeting for a potential payment gap is really valuable. I'm curious though - for those who experienced processing delays, did SSA provide any kind of interim payment or was it just a matter of waiting it out? Also, has anyone had success getting the payment gap issue resolved by escalating to a supervisor or regional office? It seems like better communication about these potential delays during the application process would prevent a lot of stress and financial hardship for people making this transition.