When Can You Expect Your First Social Security Payment?

When are you entitled to your first Social Security retirement payment? Is it the month in which you turn 62?

Surprisingly, the answer is “no” in most cases.

Social Security will only pay you a benefit if you 1) Meet all the requirements for benefits and 2) Have lived throughout the entire month of eligibility.

Let’s say that you were born on November 4^th, which means that you would first become eligible for benefits on your 62^nd birthday. You would not be entitled to a November benefit, as you did not meet one of the eligibility requirements (i.e., being age 62) for the entire month of November. The first month of eligibility for you would be December, and you would receive that payment in January.

There’s a little extra confusion for those born on the first day of the month. Social Security (and OPM too) follow an old English law that says that you actually reach your age on the day before your birthday. Therefore if you were born November 1^st, you would be viewed at turning age 62 on October 31^st and would be eligible to receive a benefit payment for November. You would receive that payment in December.

The date you would receive your Social Security payment will depend on your birth date.

• If you were born on the 1^st through the 10^th of the month, your payment date is the 2^nd Wednesday.
• If you were born on the 11^th through the 20^th of the month, your payment date is the 3^rd Wednesday.
• If you were born on the 21^st through the end of the month, your payment date is the 4th Wednesday.