Dear Rusty: I have a simple question: I will turn 70 [soon], and want to start my Social Security (SS) benefits in [the same month I do that]. [How soon] should I file my claim? Have there been delays with the reductions in Social Security Administration (SSA) staff? Thank you for your help.

Signed: Ready to Claim

Dear Ready to Claim: The SSA allows you to submit your application for benefits up to four months prior to the month you wish benefits to start (you will specify your desired benefit-start-month on the application). That will give the SSA plenty of time to get your benefits started on time. Remember, though, that the agency pays benefits in the month following the month earned, so if you start benefits in September, you will receive your first SS payment in October (on the third Wednesday). And, since you will be turning 70, you are entitled to full benefits effective from the first of that month. Congratulations on choosing a strategy that maximizes your monthly payment. By claiming at age 70, your monthly SS benefit will be about 31 percent more than it would have been at your full retirement age (FRA), and you will get that higher monthly amount for the rest of your life.

Regarding your question about possible delays, SSA staff reductions have not included “front line” agents (those who handle applications), so the recent staff adjustments should not likely delay processing your application. Although some back-office staffing turmoil currently exists at the SSA, it has been moving more people to front-line positions to try to improve service. Just be aware, however, that it normally takes the SSA about two to three months to process new applications, which is why the agency allows applications up to four months in advance. You will specify the month you wish benefits to start on your application. In any case, although your application should be fine if you submit it [now], rest assured that the SSA will pay you starting with the month you requested, even if it must do so retroactively.

FYI, you can apply for Social Security in person by making a telephone appointment to do so at (800) 772-1213, or you can apply online at www.ssa.gov/apply. To apply online, you need to have first created your “my Social Security” online account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. A link to a video explaining the online application process is available at: www.ssa.gov/hlp/video/iclaim_r01.htm.              

Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained, and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.