Will starting Social Security in November qualify me for the COLA increase in January?
I'm planning to file for my Social Security retirement benefits this month (November) after putting it off for a while. I just turned 67 last week, so I'm at my full retirement age. My question is pretty simple - if I start my benefits now, will I qualify for the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that's coming in January? I've heard different things from friends - one said you need to be on SS for a full year before getting any COLA, another said you get it right away. I'd rather not wait until January to file if I'll get the increase anyway by starting now. Thanks for any help!
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Amara Chukwu
Yes, you will qualify for the COLA in January even if you start receiving benefits in November. The SSA applies the COLA to anyone receiving benefits when the increase takes effect, regardless of how long you've been collecting. Your friend who said you need to be on SS for a full year was incorrect. File whenever you're ready - it won't affect your eligibility for the upcoming COLA.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Thank you so much for clarifying! That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll go ahead and file this month then rather than waiting.
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Giovanni Conti
ur friend is wrong lol. i started benefits last feb and got the cola increase in jan this year. dont wait just apply now
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Thanks for sharing your experience! It's reassuring to hear from someone who actually went through this recently.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
What if the COLA is really low next year??? I've been on SS for 6 years and the increases NEVER keep up with my actual expenses. Groceries up 30% but we get what, 3%?? The whole system is RIGGED against seniors. I'd recommend waiting until January JUST IN CASE there's some weird rule change. The SSA constantly changes things without telling anyone!! They denied my neighbor's COLA last year for some technical reason I don't understand.
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NeonNova
•The SSA doesn't deny COLAs to individual beneficiaries based on when they filed. Your neighbor likely experienced something else entirely. The COLA is automatic and applied across the board to all beneficiaries. The 2025 COLA has already been announced at 2.45%, which is lower than recent years but still better than nothing. The calculation method (based on the CPI-W) is set by law and hasn't changed.
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Dylan Campbell
Congrats on reaching your FRA! I just wanted to add that when I started my benefits, I was so confused about when my first payment would actually arrive. For anyone who applies in November, your first payment should come in December (SS pays a month behind). Just something to plan for with your finances.
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Sofia Hernandez
One thing no one mentioned yet - if you've already reached your FRA, you might want to consider whether filing a restricted application for spousal benefits only would be better, depending on your marital situation. This could let you delay your own retirement benefits to earn delayed retirement credits while still getting some income now. The COLA would apply to whichever benefit you're receiving in January.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•I'm actually divorced (married 12 years) and never remarried. Would this strategy work for me? I honestly didn't even think about claiming on my ex-spouse's record. Is that still possible?
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Sofia Hernandez
•Yes, since you were married for more than 10 years and haven't remarried, you can potentially claim divorced spousal benefits. You'd need to know your ex's claiming status though - they don't need to be claiming already if you've been divorced for at least 2 years. But the restricted application option is only available to people born before January 2, 1954. When were you born exactly?
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Dylan Campbell
Has anyone actually tried calling SS lately? I tried last week and waited on hold for 1.5 hours before giving up. Their offices near me still require appointments and the earliest they had was January! OP might want to start the application online to make sure they get it in on time.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•I had the same problem trying to reach SSA about my application status. After multiple disconnected calls, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live agent in under 10 minutes. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much frustration! The agent was able to confirm all the COLA details too, so I knew exactly what to expect in January.
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Giovanni Conti
My grandma says shes getting a 2.45 COLA and she only started SS in august so yeah u qualify
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NeonNova
To add some additional context: The 2025 COLA of 2.45% will first appear in the January payment that most beneficiaries receive on the 3rd of the month (or the banking day before if the 3rd falls on a weekend). If you have a birthday between the 1st-10th of the month, your payment comes on the 2nd Wednesday; 11th-20th, it's the 3rd Wednesday; and 21st-31st, it's the 4th Wednesday. The COLA increase is prorated – you get the full annual percentage regardless of when you started receiving benefits. Hope this helps with your planning!
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Dylan Campbell
•Wish someone had explained the payment schedule this clearly when I first started SS! I was so confused why my neighbor got paid on a different day than me. Makes sense now.
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