Retirement Social Security

The Social Security Deadlines Most People Don't Know Until It's Too Late

If you're claiming or collecting Social Security, these deadlines are important to know about.

By Maurie Backman , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated June 3, 2026

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If you aren't on track with your retirement plan, then you may end up pretty reliant on Social Security to cover your senior living expenses. For this reason, it's important to understand the timing of filing for benefits.

It's also important to understand when you can enroll in Medicare, how and when to respond to notices you get from the Social Security Administration (SSA), and how and when you can change your mind on key claiming decisions. This is especially important because missing certain Social Security deadlines could have major consequences.

Here's a rundown of some key Social Security deadlines and ages all current and future retirees need to know about.

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Age 62: your first opportunity to file

The earliest age to start collecting Social Security benefits is 62. But you're allowed to file for retirement benefits up to four months before you want those payments to start. This means you can apply for retirement benefits as early as 61 and nine months.

If you don't claim Social Security benefits as early as possible, you'll simply start getting those monthly checks later. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, since filing for Social Security at 62 could mean facing up to a 30% reduction in your monthly benefits compared to waiting until full retirement age.

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Age 67: your full retirement age

Full retirement age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later, and it's when you can receive your monthly retirement benefits from Social Security without a reduction. You can file your claim up to four months ahead of full retirement age to help ensure that your benefits start when you want them to.

If you don't remember to sign up for Social Security benefits by age 67, that's okay. You actually get credit for holding off past that point. You just don't want to wait too long.

Age 70: when delayed retirement credits stop accumulating

If you hold off on claiming Social Security benefits past full retirement age, you can accrue delayed retirement credits. Those credits give your benefits an 8% boost for each year you hold off.

However, once you turn 70, you can no longer accumulate those credits. So there's no sense in delaying your Social Security claim beyond that point. And if you wait too long beyond age 70 to file, you could end up losing out on money you're entitled to.

That said, the SSA will pay up to six months of retroactive benefits. So if you forget to claim Social Security at 70 but file by age 70.5, you may not lose out on any money.

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12 months from your benefit approval: your do-over window

If you claim Social Security benefits early and regret that decision, you're not necessarily stuck with reduced monthly checks for life. You're allowed to undo your filing once in your lifetime. But you have to act quickly.

The SSA gives you up to 12 months after your benefit approval to withdraw your application for retirement benefits. If you do that within the appropriate window and also repay any money in benefits you received to date, you'll be allowed to file again at a later point in time. You'll also need to repay any money the SSA may have withheld from your monthly benefits for Medicare premiums.

Age 65: Medicare enrollment

If you're receiving Social Security benefits prior to age 65, you'll generally be enrolled in Medicare automatically once you're eligible. Otherwise, you'll have to sign up for Medicare yourself.

Your initial enrollment period for Medicare begins three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after that month. So all told, you have seven months to enroll.

If you don't sign up for Medicare on time, you could face a 10% surcharge on your Part B premiums for each yearlong period you could've signed up but didn't. That surcharge is lifelong.

However, if you're eligible for a special enrollment period, that surcharge is generally waived. You're typically entitled to a special enrollment period if you have qualifying group health coverage at the time of your initial Medicare enrollment period.

The 60-day appeal window

It's not a given that you'll file for Social Security benefits and all will go smoothly. If the SSA denies your claim, you'll need to act quickly.

You typically have 60 days from the date you receive notice of an SSA decision to file an appeal. If you don't appeal within that 60-day period, you may give up the right to appeal permanently.

The 30-day overpayment response window

If the SSA sends you too much money, it's going to want it back. If you receive an overpayment notice from the SSA, you'll usually have 30 days to ask for a waiver or appeal. The SSA won't collect the money it's owed until it reviews your request and makes a decision on it.

However, if you don't respond to your overpayment notice and don't pay the SSA back, you'll generally have 50% of your retirement benefits or 10% of your SSI payments withheld each month until the SSA is made whole on the amount it overpaid you.

Bottom line

Social Security will probably play a big part in your broad retirement plan. So it's important to know when to file for benefits and what happens if you miss certain windows or deadlines.

It's also important to know when to sign up for Medicare and respond to SSA notices or decisions. Familiarizing yourself with these and other rules could help you approach retirement more confidently.

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