If you were born on March 3 1952 and plan to take SS starting March of 2017, do they consider you are taking SS at 65 or 64?
65
Note that because of your year of birth, your “full” (normal) retirement age is 66. https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/agereduction.html
That wsan’t really my birthday or year. I needed to know how they calculate the age whether they take “everyone born in…” or go by the month or the date. Would it make a difference if March 23 instead of March 3?
I interpret that link to mean that the date in the month doesn’t matter unless it’s the first of the month.
Look at #3 in the footnotes. I think you start the month after your birthdate.
Here’s what the regulation says: “You may receive unreduced old-age, wife’s, or husband’s benefits beginning with the month you attain the age shown.”
I think you are right @rosered55, but the missing piece is that the check arrives the following month. The exception, those born on the first of the month get their first check in their birth month of the year they become eligible.
You’re right, @mominva. Thanks for pointing that out.
This is interesting. I have just applied for SS and my birthday is the first day of the month. So I’ll get my first deposit on the month of my birthday instead of the next month? Why do they do that? And why only the first day of the month–why not the first two days or the first week?
Yay, I just applied for SS! Glad to get that out of the way.
For Social Security purposes, you attain your age the day before your birthday. Technically your birthday begins the next year of your life; you were born on day 1 of year 1. And each birthday is the anniversary of the day of your birth. So if your birthday is the 1st of the month, you attained your age on the last day of the previous month.
Also if your birthday is February 29, you attain your age on the 28th. Which helps avoid any Pirates of Penzance scenarios.
(My first career was with SSA.)
@Marilyn thanks for the explanation.