As someone who recently joined this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! I'm 65 and will be hitting my FRA (66 and 8 months) next year, and I've been agonizing over whether to keep my part-time retail job after claiming benefits. Reading through everyone's consistent experiences has been such a relief - it's clear that once you reach FRA, there truly is NO earnings limit that affects your Social Security benefits. I've been unnecessarily limiting my hours because I was terrified of accidentally triggering some penalty. What really stands out to me is how many people here have shared similar stories of being overly cautious before understanding the rules. The distinction between pre-FRA earnings limits (which are real) and post-FRA freedom (which is absolute) is so important. I also appreciate everyone clarifying that potential taxation of benefits is completely separate from benefit reductions. Thank you to all the members who've been generous enough to share your real-world experiences - especially those who've been successfully working while collecting benefits for years. This community has provided more clarity than months of trying to navigate government websites! Looking forward to having that flexibility to work as much or as little as I want without constantly calculating earnings thresholds.

I'm so grateful I found this discussion! I'm 66 and just reached my FRA last month, but I've been hesitant to apply for Social Security because I wasn't sure about the earnings rules. I work as a freelance graphic designer and my income can be pretty variable - some months I might make $1,000, other months $4,000 or more depending on projects. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring! It sounds like I can finally stop worrying about tracking every dollar I earn and just focus on building my business. The consistency in all your stories - from people who've been successfully working while collecting benefits for years - really gives me confidence. I especially appreciate how everyone clarified that benefit reductions and taxation are two completely different things. I think I was confusing the two and making this much more complicated than it needs to be. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - this community is amazing! I'm going to start my Social Security application this week.

I completely understand your concern! I just went through this same experience when I applied for my retirement benefits a few months ago. The online application system definitely feels incomplete when you're expecting to upload important documents like your birth certificate, but this is actually how it's designed to work. SSA has a two-stage process: first they review your application using the extensive records they already have on file from your years of paying into Social Security. Then they contact you only if additional documentation is needed. Since you've been working and paying into the system, they likely already have your birth information from when you originally got your Social Security card years ago. In my case, I never had to provide my birth certificate because they already had everything they needed. The key indicators that suggest you won't need to provide it are: you were born in the US, you got your Social Security card when you started working (not later in life), and there are no discrepancies in your work history. You did exactly the right thing applying 3 months ahead of your June start date - that gives plenty of time for any document requests if they do arise. Just wait for their acknowledgment letter in the next week or two, and don't send anything proactively. You're on the right track!

I'm currently going through this exact same process and wanted to share what I've learned from calling SSA directly. After reading through all these helpful responses, I decided to call the SSA customer service line to get official confirmation about my application status. While the wait time was long (about 2 hours), the representative was very helpful and confirmed that this is indeed how their system works. She explained that the online retirement application is designed to collect the initial information they need, and then they cross-reference it with their existing database. For most people who have worked in the US and paid into Social Security for years, they already have birth verification from when you originally applied for your Social Security number. The representative told me that birth certificates are typically only requested for people born outside the US, those with late-registered births, or when there are discrepancies in their records. She also confirmed that applying 3 months ahead (like you did for June benefits) is the perfect timing. Even if they do need documents, there's plenty of time to provide them without delaying your benefit start date. The acknowledgment letter should arrive within 10-14 business days, and any document requests would come separately after that. Hope this helps ease your concerns! The system really does work as designed, even though it feels nerve-wracking when you're going through it for the first time.

Delaying your benefits would increase the potential spousal benefit (which is 50% of your PIA), but the GPO reduction remains the same - 2/3 of her pension amount. With a $2,800 pension, the GPO reduction is about $1,867. So your benefit would need to increase to where 50% of it exceeds $1,867 before she'd see any spousal amount. At maximum delayed retirement (age 70), your $3,200 benefit might grow to around $4,000. Half of that would be $2,000, which would only provide about $133/month in spousal benefits after GPO reduction ($2,000 - $1,867). You'd have to decide if delaying your benefit is worth it for that small spousal amount.

I went through this exact situation with my parents a few years ago. One thing that might be worth considering is whether your wife could potentially delay claiming her state pension if that's an option. Some state retirement systems allow you to defer the pension start date, which would eliminate the GPO reduction during the period she's not receiving the pension. She could then claim Social Security spousal benefits during that time. Of course, this only makes sense if the spousal benefit amount exceeds what she'd lose by delaying her pension, and you'd need to check if her state system even allows this flexibility. Most don't, but it's worth investigating since the GPO only applies when she's actually receiving the government pension.

I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago and wanted to share what I learned. The 12-month rule is firm - no exceptions. When I submitted my Form SSA-521, they required documentation for EVERY payment, including any spousal benefits if applicable. One thing that caught me off guard was that they also wanted proof of repayment for any state tax withholdings, not just federal. The whole process from submission to final approval took about 5 weeks for me. Also, if you're still working, make sure to factor in how your additional earnings might boost your benefit calculation even more when you restart at 67. The SSA representative told me that continuing to work while waiting can sometimes add another $50-100/month to your eventual benefit if those years end up in your top 35 earning years. Given that you're only 4 months in, you have plenty of time to make this decision carefully.

Just want to add one more consideration that might be helpful - if you do decide to withdraw, make sure you understand the impact on any estimated tax payments you might have made for this year. Since you'll be repaying the benefits, you may be able to adjust your quarterly estimated taxes or potentially get a refund when you file next year. I'd recommend talking to a tax professional about this aspect too, especially if you had significant federal or state taxes withheld from your SS payments. The tax implications of the repayment can actually work in your favor since you'll essentially be "undoing" the taxable income for this year. This is separate from the Social Security decision itself, but it's another piece of the financial puzzle that's worth considering as you plan this withdrawal.

Thank you all for the helpful explanations! This makes so much more sense now. It's amazing that married couples can really maximize their benefits this way. My husband and I are both approaching retirement age and I worked part-time for many years, so I'll definitely be looking into whether the spousal benefit might be better for me. Feeling much more confident about our retirement planning now!

I'm glad this thread helped clear things up! Just wanted to add one more consideration for anyone planning their retirement strategy - timing matters a lot with spousal benefits. If you're the higher-earning spouse, delaying your own Social Security past full retirement age (up to age 70) will increase your benefit by about 8% per year, which also increases the potential spousal benefit for your partner. However, the spouse claiming spousal benefits doesn't get delayed retirement credits - their maximum is still 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount at full retirement age. So it's worth running the numbers to see if it makes sense for the higher earner to delay while the spouse starts collecting spousal benefits earlier. Everyone's situation is different!