I have recently been laid off from my job. I will be able to apply for social security in June for early retirement. My check will not be deposited until my birthday Nov 2. Can I plead a hardship to get my check any earlier than Nov?

Hi,

No, there's no provision for starting Social Security benefits early due to hardship. You can't claim benefits any earlier than when you first meet all of the requirements for eligibility.

You don't mention your year of birth or what type of benefits you intend to claim, so I can't tell you when you might first be eligible for benefits. However, if you'll turn age 62 on November 2 2019, the earliest that you could qualify for Social Security retirement benefits based on your own earnings history would be for the month of November 2019. And, benefits for November are paid by Social Security in the month of December.

Before filing for benefits, you should strongly consider using our software to explore and compare all of your filing options.

Best, Jerry