Applying for your Social Security Retirement Benefit Early at Age 62

[GailL1]

Social Security says that you can apply for retirement benefit up to (4) months in advance of the the date you want benefits to start.  

One CAUTION here:  If you are wanting to file for Retirement benefit and you want to start at age 62 - which is the earliest date you can file for Social Security Retirement benefits - you CANNOT apply before that (4) month period BECAUSE the system will look at you as not being able to file for Retirement benefits and will keep pulling up a form for a Disability claim.  

So if you are filing for early (age 62) Retirement benefits - and you will be age 62 on July 15 - then you can only file for Retirement  benefits after March 15 - (4) months before you turn 62 and not before,