You can earn any amount and not be affected by the Social Security earnings test once you reach full retirement age, or FRA. That's 66 and 2 months if you were born in 1955, 66 and 4 months for people born in 1956, and gradually increasing to 67 for people born in 1960 and later. Show In 2022, if you collect benefits before full retirement age and continue to work, the Social Security Administration will temporarily withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn over $19,560. If you will reach FRA in 2022, the earnings limit goes up to $51,960, and $1 is deducted from your benefits for every $3 you earn over that. Once you actually attain full retirement age, the earnings limit goes away. The only Social Security benefits affected by working after reaching full retirement age are benefits paid to disabled adult children collecting on a parent’s earnings record. Keep in mindIf you did have benefits withheld before reaching full retirement age due to work income, you can recoup them afterward. When you hit full retirement age, Social Security bumps up your monthly benefit to make up, over time, for the withholding. Updated December 23, 2021 Yes. You don't have to hand in your notice when you start getting retirement benefits. But continuing to draw income from work might reduce the amount of your benefit if you claim Social Security before you reach full retirement age (FRA), the age when you qualify to collect 100 percent of the maximum benefit allowed from your earnings history. Full retirement age is 66 and 4 months for those born in 1956 and will gradually rise over the next few years to 67. Prior to FRA, Social Security doesn’t consider you fully “retired” if you make more than a certain amount from work, and it will deduct a portion of your benefits if your earnings exceed that limit. The earnings caps are adjusted annually for national wage trends, and they differ depending on how close you are to full retirement age. If you are receiving benefits and
working in 2022 but not due to hit FRA until a later year, the earnings limit is $19,560. You lose $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over the cap. So, if you have a part-time job that pays $25,000 a year — $5,440 over the limit — Social Security will deduct $2,720 in benefits. Suppose you will reach full retirement age in 2022. In that case, the earnings limit is $51,960, with $1 in benefits withheld for every $3 earned over the limit. That applies until the date you hit FRA: past that, there is no benefit reduction, no matter much you earn. In fact, Social Security increases your monthly benefit at that point so that over time you recoup benefits you lost to the prior withholding. If you receive wages, earnings-limit calculations are based on your gross pay; if you’re self-employed, Social Security counts your net income only. The Social Security pamphlet “How Work Affects Your Benefits” and its Retirement Earnings Test Calculator can provide more details. Keep in mind
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full
retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase. If you start receiving benefits early, your benefits are reduced a small percent for each month before your full retirement age. To find out how much your benefit will be reduced if you begin receiving benefits from age 62 up to your full retirement age, use the chart below and select your year of birth. This example is based
on an estimated monthly benefit of $1000 at full retirement age. Full Retirement and Age 62 Benefit By Year Of Birth
Before You Make Your DecisionThere are advantages and disadvantages to taking your benefit before your full retirement age. The advantage is that you collect benefits for a longer period of time. The disadvantage is your benefit will be reduced. Each person's situation is different. It is important to remember:
If you decide to delay your benefits until after age 65, you should still apply for Medicare benefits within three months of your 65th birthday. If you wait longer, your Medicare medical insurance (Part B) and prescription drug coverage (Part D) may cost you more money. How much money can you earn after you reach full retirement age?Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn and still receive your benefits.
Can I collect Social Security while I'm still working?You can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. But, if you're younger than full retirement age, and earn more than certain amounts, your benefits will be reduced. The amount that your benefits are reduced, however, isn't truly lost.
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