My spouse was 68 in March 2016. As per our plan using your program, she applied for her retirement benefit on January 24, 2017. By letter from SSA dated February 1, 2017, she was advised her monthly benefit was raised to her current monthly beginning January 2017. We then received a letter dated 5 days later from SSA indicating the monthly benefit would begin for February 2017, to be received in March. She called SSA to find out why she was not paid a benefit for January. The only explanation they provided was that she was 68 and if her benefit started in January, payable in February, her monthly benefit would be less. We are a little confused. Can you better enlighten us? Thank you.

Hi,

The only thing that I can think of is that your wife chose February 2017 as her month of election on her application. If that's what the software advised her to do, everything should be fine. But, if the software advised her to start benefits effective with January 2017, she can still do so by submitting a written request to Social Security to change her month of election to January. The best way to accomplish that would be for her to visit your servicing Social Security office if possible. Remember, though, I only have the description of events outlined in your question to go by, so I could be misinterpreting something.

Best, Jerry