Extra rules for those born on the 1st or 2nd of the month

Published: 6/5/2022

Updated: 1/7/2023

Social Security calculates and pays benefits monthly. However there are still several rules that are affected by the day of the month that you were born.

Eligibility

Eligibility rules have to do with what is the earliest month you are first eligible to receive social security benefits. There are a couple rules that interact with the day of the month:

1. Social Security is based on English Common Law which states that you "attain" a particular age on the day before your birthday. So, if you are born on May 1, you will attain age 62 on April 30.
2. You are eligible for a benefit on the first month that you are a particular age through the entire month.

Rule #2 interacts with rule #1. Let's illustrate with three example birthdays:

• May 1, 1960: Attained 62 on April 30, 2022. First month age 62 through the entire month is May, 2022.
• May 2, 1960: Attained 62 on May 1, 2022. First month age 62 through the entire month is May, 2022.
• May 3, 1960: Attained 62 on May 2, 2022. First month age 62 through the entire month is June, 2022.

Some resources will tell you that the first month you can begin benefits is 62 + 1 month. The third example above shows where this comes from, but it doesn't apply if you were born on the 1st or 2nd of a month.

Normal Retirement Age

Also known as Full Retirement Age. This is the age at which if you file to start benefits, you benefit will equal your Primary Insurance Amount with no reductions from starting early or delayed credit increases for delaying benefits. Normal Retirement Age varies by year of birth. Currently anyone born in 1960 or later has a Normal Retirement Age of 67.

The month of your normal retirement age is the month that you attain that age. Just like eligbility, Social Security is based on English Common Law which states that you "attain" a particular age on the day before your birthday. So, if you are born on May 1, you will attain age 67 on April 30.

Unlike eligbility though, you don't need to be 67 for the entire month for that month to be your Normal Retirement Age.

Let's illustrate with the same three example birthdays:

• May 1, 1960: Attained 67 on April 30, 2027. Normal Retirement Age is April, 2027.
• May 2, 1960: Attained 67 on May 1, 2027. Normal Retirement Age is May, 2027.
• May 3, 1960: Attained 67 on May 2, 2027. Normal Retirement Age is May, 2027.

Benefit Payment Date

In most cases, the date of payment is also based on the day of the month you were born:

• If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month, you’ll be paid on the second Wednesday of the month.
• If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, you’ll be paid on the third Wednesday of the month.
• If you were born after the 20th of the month, you’ll be paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

There are some exceptions though. If you receive a benefit based on someone else's work record, such as a spousal benefit, this will be paid the same day as the primary beneficiary.

There are also certain recipients who may receive payment on the 3rd of the month:

• You filed for benefits before May 1, 1997
• You also receive a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment;
• Your Medicare premiums are paid for by the state where you live.
• You live in a foreign country.

And finally federal holidays or weekends bump the payment to the non-holiday weekday immediately preceding the scheduled date.

Another way to view the payment date is the Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2023: