When To Start Benefits

Important: You must be at least 61 years and 9 months old to apply for benefits.

• The earliest you can apply for retirement benefits is four months before you want your benefits to start. If you want your benefits to start more than four months in the future, you need to apply for benefits at a later date.
• If you are already age 62, your benefits could start as early as this month.

Reminder: If you were born on the 1st of the month, we figure your benefit (and your full retirement age) as if your birthday was in the previous month.

If you are under full retirement age and you work after you start receiving benefits, we may withhold some of your benefits if you have excess earnings. However, after you reach full retirement age, we will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for any month(s) in which you did not receive your full monthly benefit because of your earnings.

If you plan to continue working, please read "How Work Affects Your Benefits" before you select the month you want your benefits to start.

Note: Social Security benefits are paid in the month after they are due.

Example: If you tell us you want your retirement benefits to start in May, you will receive your first benefit check in June. (If you want to receive your first benefit check in May, you need to be eligible for benefits in April AND tell us you want you benefits to start that month.)

Additional information about when Social Security benefits are paid can be found in "When does Social Security pay benefits."