My FRA is 66 (DOB: 11/12/52). I claimed my own benefits at age 67 & 7 months in July, 2020. I have been receiving the benefit reported in my benefit statement as of Jan. 1st, 2020. I understood the benefit would be adjusted on Jan. 2021 to reflect the additional seven months I waited to claim benefits. Upon my first call the representative said the adjustment would be made 6/1/ 21. Nothing happened. I called again in August and the rep. said they are understaffed and he did not know when they would get to this. Do you have any other info on this? This will result in a 4.67% increase. Will I receive a lump sum for the last 1+ year and an ongoing benefit adjustment? Do I need to remain patient and trust Soc. Sec. will eventually figure this out? Thanks

Hi. Yes, you're going to need patience. If you start drawing benefits between FRA and age 70, Social Security initially only gives you credit for any delayed retirement credits (DRC) that you earned through December of the year prior to the year you start collecting. Any DRCs earned in the year that you start drawing are subsequently credited effective with your payment for January of the year after the year you claimed benefits.

You're correct that it sounds like you should receive a benefit rate increase effective with your payment for January 2021, but those types of recomputations are done using an automated procedure. My understanding is that such automated recomputations are only done every other year, so you may not actually see the rate increase until the latter part of 2023. You will, though, be paid any back pay due when the recomputation is processed.

By the way, we recently received feedback from someone who filed at age 68 in September 2019, and he reports that his recomputation to credit his 2019 DRCs wasn't processed until August 2021. He was also then paid the back pay that he was due retroactive to the beginning of 2020.

Best, Jerry