I'm new here but this is such helpful information! I'm turning 62 next month and was considering taking early retirement benefits while continuing to work part-time. Reading through all these responses really clarifies that my Social Security payments won't count against the earnings limit - only my work income will. I had been worried I'd have to choose between working and getting benefits, but now I see I can do both as long as I stay under the $22,300 gross earnings limit. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

Great question and congratulations on getting approved! Just to reinforce what others have said - your Social Security benefits absolutely do NOT count toward the $22,300 earnings limit. Only earned income from employment counts (wages, self-employment income, etc.). One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much is to keep good records of your earnings throughout the year. I recommend setting up a simple spreadsheet or even just writing down your gross pay from each paycheck so you can track where you stand relative to that $22,300 limit. It's easy to lose track, especially if your hours vary from week to week in part-time work. Also, remember that the limit is based on the calendar year, not when you start receiving benefits. So even though you're starting benefits in November, the $22,300 limit applies to your total earnings for all of 2025. Best of luck with your part-time work and enjoy those Social Security checks!

Thanks everyone for all the great information! Much clearer now that it's $1 withheld for every $2 earned over the limit. I'm going to call SSA to discuss my specific situation and make sure I understand how this will affect my monthly payments. Definitely don't want any surprises next year. Really appreciate all the helpful responses!

One thing to keep in mind is that the earnings test only counts wages and self-employment income - not pensions, 401k withdrawals, investment income, or rental income. So if you have other sources of income besides your part-time job, those won't count toward the $23,400 limit. Also, when you do reach your Full Retirement Age at 67, not only does the earnings limit disappear completely, but SSA will recalculate your benefit to account for all those months where benefits were withheld due to excess earnings. It's like getting credit back for the time you "lost" benefits, which partially makes up for what was withheld earlier.

Just wanted to add something important that I learned when helping my neighbor with this - make sure your father-in-law gets a copy of his Social Security Statement before applying! You can access it online at ssa.gov/myaccount or request a paper copy. This will show his complete work history and estimated benefits, which helps verify everything is correct before he applies. Also, since he's been working for 9 years, he's probably very close to earning those 40 credits needed. You typically earn 4 credits per year if you make at least the minimum amount (around $6,500 in 2024), so he likely already qualifies or will very soon. One more tip: if he decides to delay retirement past his Full Retirement Age, his benefits will actually increase by about 8% per year until age 70. This could be worth considering if he's in good health and can continue working!

As someone who works in immigration law, I can confirm everything mentioned here is accurate! Green card holders absolutely qualify for Social Security retirement benefits under the same rules as citizens - 40 credits (roughly 10 years of work). One additional consideration for your father-in-law: since he's been working for 9 years, I'd recommend he check his Social Security earnings record now to make sure all his wages have been properly credited. Sometimes there are discrepancies that need to be corrected, and it's much easier to fix these issues while he's still working. Also, regarding the international travel concerns mentioned earlier - if your father-in-law is from a country that has a totalization agreement with the US, he may be able to combine work credits from both countries to qualify for benefits. This could potentially help him reach the 40-credit threshold faster if needed. The key thing is that receiving Social Security benefits will NOT affect his immigration status or green card in any way - these are earned benefits he's paid into through payroll taxes.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for this incredibly detailed discussion! Reading through everyone's experiences with IRS Notice 2014-7 exempt income and Social Security earnings limits has been both educational and eye-opening about how complex these benefit interactions can be. What really stands out to me is how even SSA's own representatives give conflicting information on these specialized situations. The fact that multiple people received different answers about the same question is concerning but valuable to know upfront. It definitely reinforces the importance of pushing to speak with a Technical Expert rather than accepting general phone support answers for complex cases like this. The distinction between what's tax-exempt for IRS purposes versus what counts as "earnings" for the Social Security earnings test is something I never would have understood without this discussion. It's a perfect example of how different government agencies can have completely different rules even when dealing with the same income. I'm particularly appreciative of those who shared their real-world experiences - especially Dylan's detailed account of actually going through this process. Learning from people who've navigated the actual bureaucracy is so much more valuable than just reading policy documents online. For anyone else in similar situations, the consensus advice seems solid: assume your exempt income will count toward the earnings test until you get definitive written clarification from an SSA Technical Expert, and document everything along the way. Thank you all for such a thorough and helpful discussion!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly impressed by the depth of knowledge and real-world experience shared in this thread! The complexity surrounding IRS Notice 2014-7 exempt income and its interaction with Social Security earnings limits really highlights how challenging it can be to navigate these government program intersections. What concerns me most is the clear pattern of inconsistent information from different SSA representatives. It's both frustrating and enlightening to see that multiple people received completely different answers to the same question. This really drives home the importance of specifically requesting a Technical Expert rather than accepting guidance from general phone support staff for specialized situations like this. The distinction between tax-exempt status and what counts as "earnings" for the SSA limit is something I never would have grasped without reading everyone's detailed experiences here. It's a perfect example of how different government agencies can have entirely different interpretations of the same income source. I'm particularly grateful to those who shared their actual experiences navigating this process - Dylan's detailed account of working with a Technical Expert was especially valuable. Learning from people who've been through the real bureaucratic maze provides insights you simply can't get from reading policy documents alone. For anyone else facing similar situations with Medicaid waiver payments, the consensus advice seems very sound: assume your exempt income will likely count toward the earnings test until you receive definitive written clarification from an SSA Technical Expert. The emphasis on thorough documentation, using Form SSA-795, and getting all decisions in writing appears crucial for protecting yourself given the potential for varying interpretations. Thank you all for such an educational and thorough discussion - this has been an invaluable introduction to understanding these complex benefit interactions!

Going back to the original question - here's a simple example to make it crystal clear: Let's say your gross SS benefit is $2,000/month and Medicare Part B premium is $170/month. Your net check is $1,830. If COLA is 3%, the increase is calculated on the $2,000, giving you a $60 increase (to $2,060). If Medicare then increases by $15 (to $185), your new net check would be $1,875 ($2,060 - $185). So even though you got a full 3% COLA ($60), your actual check only increased by $45 because of the Medicare premium increase. This is why many beneficiaries feel like they don't get the full COLA - other costs are rising simultaneously.

Just wanted to add that you can also check your exact COLA calculation by looking at your Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov/myaccount. It shows your benefit history and how each year's COLA was applied to your base amount. This helped me understand exactly how much my gross benefit increased versus what my net payment became after Medicare and other deductions. It's really helpful for budget planning since you can see the pattern of how COLA and Medicare premium changes have affected your payments over time.