I turn 70 on November 21st. How far in advance should I apply for social security? I will still be working until I turn 72.

Thank you.

Hi,

You can apply for benefits up to 4 months in advance, to you could apply now. You don't really have to file in advance since you would be allowed to claim benefits up to 6 months retroactively, but if you want to be paid timely you should probably plan on filing sooner rather than later. My understanding is that Social Security's appointment schedule is backlogged, so unless you're able to file online you'll probably want to contact Social Security pretty soon.

By the way, if you want to claim benefits effective with age 70 and your 70th birthday is November 21 2020, you should choose November 2020 as your month of election to start your benefits. Social Security pays benefits a month behind, so your payment for November will be due in December.

Best, Jerry