Dear Larry; I am waiting until I turn 70 to claim my maximum social security retirement benefit. I will turn 70 on 12/16/2021. As I understand your answer to another claimant, I should file my claim no earlier than December 2021 in order to make sure I get the full benefit rate for a 70 year old claimant. Do I have to wait until after my birthday on 12/16/2021? Or can I file on any day after December 1? As I understood your response to a previous claimant, Social Security considers you to become 70 in the month of your birthday, correct? Or, do I have to wait until after my birthday om 12/16/2021? Also, as I understand your previous post, If I file in December of 2021, I will begin to receive benefits in January of 2022. Please confirm the above.

Kindest regards,

Jeffrey

Hi Jeffrey. Yes, it's correct that Social Security considers you to be age 70 for the whole month in which you reach that age, but you don't have to wait until then to actually apply for your benefits. Social Security allows you to apply for benefits up to 4 months prior to the month that you want to start drawing your benefits, so if you want to claim your benefits effective with December you can file your application as early as August. Your application will ask you which month that you want to claim benefits, and you would simply answer 'December 2021. Social Security pays benefits a month behind, though, so your first payment would then be due in January 2022.

Best, Jerry