i just wanna say ur inspiring me! im 58 and on disability and always wanted to finish my degree. maybe its not too late for me either

This thread has been so helpful! I'm 64 and have been on SSDI for 8 years following a stroke. I've been hesitant to pursue any educational goals because I was afraid it might jeopardize my benefits or trigger unwanted reviews. Reading everyone's experiences, especially the distinction between scholarships (which don't count as income) versus work-study earnings (which do), gives me confidence to explore some online courses I've been interested in. My occupational therapist has actually been encouraging me to engage in mentally stimulating activities as part of my recovery. Ava, best of luck with your program - you're showing all of us that it's never too late to learn!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Matthew. I went through this exact situation when my mother passed away in September of last year. The SSA reclaimed her final payment about 4 weeks after the funeral home reported her death. One piece of advice that really helped me was to call SSA early in the morning (around 8 AM when they open) - the wait times were significantly shorter than calling later in the day. When you do get through, ask to speak with their "death benefits coordination" unit, as they specialize in these reclamation cases and can provide much more specific timelines than general customer service. Also, I found it helpful to establish a regular check-in schedule with your bank - I called every Tuesday and Friday for quick status updates, which helped me feel more in control during the waiting period. The bank representative eventually knew my situation and could quickly check if there were any pending SSA transactions. Make sure you have multiple certified copies of the death certificate on hand, as both SSA and the bank may request them at different stages of the process. The whole system feels designed to add stress during an already difficult time, but staying organized and persistent really does help. This administrative burden will be behind you soon, and then you can focus on healing. Hang in there.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Matthew. I went through this exact situation when my father passed away in April. The SSA reclaimed his final payment about 3 weeks after the funeral home reported his death. One thing that really helped me was calling SSA first thing in the morning (around 8:00 AM) when their phone lines open - the wait times are much shorter than later in the day. When you get through, ask specifically to be transferred to their "deceased beneficiary unit" as they handle these reclamations directly and can give you accurate timelines. The representative I spoke with was able to confirm the death notification was in their system and provided an estimated date range for when the reclamation would occur. Also, ask your bank to flag your account for priority notifications once SSA initiates the withdrawal - many banks can alert you when they see the pending government transaction, which usually processes within 24-48 hours after that. Keep all your father's information handy (SSN, DOB, death certificate number) as SSA will need to verify these details. The waiting is absolutely the hardest part when you're trying to settle everything, but this will be resolved soon. Stay strong during this difficult process.

I'm new to this community but have been following Social Security rules closely as I approach retirement myself. Based on everything I've researched and what others have confirmed here, your PTO payout definitely counts toward your 2025 earnings limit since you received it in 2025, regardless of when it was actually earned. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet that might be helpful - if you're using tax software like TurboTax or working with a tax preparer this year, make sure to mention your Social Security situation to them early. They can help you plan for the tax implications of having both SS benefits and work income, and some of the newer software versions actually have calculators that can help you model different earning scenarios throughout the year. Also, since you're being so methodical about tracking (which is smart!), consider setting up a simple alert on your phone for the last day of each month to update your earnings tracker. It only takes a few minutes but keeps you from falling behind on the math when you're busy with work and life. The $23,400 limit really doesn't leave much room for error, especially after that PTO payout, so staying on top of it monthly rather than trying to catch up quarterly will save you stress later.

I'm also dealing with the earnings limit as a newer Social Security recipient, and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I wanted to add one more resource that might help - the SSA has a specific publication called "How Work Affects Your Benefits" (Publication No. 05-10069) that goes into detail about the earnings test. You can download it for free from their website and it's much clearer than trying to navigate their main site. One thing I learned from my own experience is to also keep track of any state taxes that might be withheld from your Social Security benefits. Some states tax SS benefits and some don't, but it's another factor to consider when you're budgeting with both work income and benefits. Also, since you mentioned you're 65 and not yet at FRA, remember that the earnings limit increases significantly in the year you reach full retirement age (it goes up to $62,160 for 2025), and they only count earnings before the month you actually reach FRA. So depending on when your birthday is, you might have more flexibility later in the year you turn your full retirement age. Just something to keep in mind for future planning!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and knowledgeable everyone has been in this thread! Reading through all the responses has really educated me about how Social Security works at full retirement age. For your brother, it sounds like he's in an ideal situation - no earnings limits at 67, Medicare continues unchanged, and the SSA actually supports people returning to work when they're able. The advice about reporting his work activity online through his my Social Security account seems like the easiest approach to avoid those frustrating phone waits. I really appreciate how this community comes together to help people navigate these complex benefits. It's encouraging to see someone feeling well enough to consider returning to work after so many years, and it's wonderful that the system is designed to support that transition rather than penalize it. Best wishes to your brother as he explores this new opportunity!

As someone new to this community and still learning about Social Security, this thread has been incredibly informative! It's wonderful to see how everyone has come together to help your brother understand his situation. From all the excellent advice shared here, it sounds like your brother is in a great position - at 67, he's past full retirement age so there are no earnings limits, his Medicare continues unchanged, and he just needs to report his work activity to SSA (preferably through the online portal to avoid phone hassles). What really strikes me is how the system is actually designed to support people like your brother who feel ready to return to work after being on disability. It's encouraging to hear about someone feeling well enough to try working again after 12 years, and it's reassuring that SSA won't penalize him for it. The advice about starting slowly at the hardware store makes a lot of sense too - after being away from physical work for so long, easing back into it would be wise regardless of the benefit rules. Wishing your brother all the best as he explores this new chapter!

This thread has been such an educational read! I'm not yet receiving Social Security benefits but my mom started getting her retirement payments about a year ago, and she's been experiencing the same exact frustrations everyone is describing here. Her credit union used to deposit her payments 3 days early like clockwork, but over the past 6 months it's become completely random - sometimes early, sometimes not, with no explanation from the bank. After reading through all these responses, I finally understand that this is a widespread banking industry issue caused by system changes like FedNow implementation, rather than anything wrong with individual accounts or SSA processing. The practical advice shared here is invaluable - I'm going to help my mom call her credit union's ACH department specifically (instead of general customer service) to get clearer answers about their new policy. The biggest takeaway for me is helping her shift from budgeting around hoped-for early deposits to planning everything based on the official SSA payment calendar dates. We're going to set up her bill payments for a few days AFTER her official payment date (3rd Wednesday based on her birth date) so she never has to stress about timing again. It's really frustrating how banks marketed early deposits as reliable benefits and then quietly changed their policies without proper communication, especially when this affects people on fixed incomes. But this community discussion has provided such practical strategies for adapting. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this knowledge sharing is exactly what families like ours need to navigate these confusing changes!

This entire discussion has been incredibly helpful as someone new to the Social Security system! I'm not receiving benefits yet but will likely be eligible in the next couple of years, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible about what to expect. What really strikes me is how consistent everyone's experiences have been across different banks - the shift from reliable early deposits to unpredictable timing seems to have happened industry-wide around the same timeframe. The explanations about FedNow implementation and ACH processing changes make perfect sense for why we're seeing this now. I'm taking notes on all the practical strategies shared here: - Always budget based on official SSA payment dates (ssa.gov has the calendar) - Contact ACH departments specifically, not general customer service - Set automatic payments for AFTER official dates instead of hoping for early deposits - Treat early deposits as bonuses rather than reliable timing - Use budgeting apps with built-in buffer days It's really disappointing that banks marketed early deposits as benefits then quietly changed policies without clear communication, especially knowing how this affects people on fixed incomes who need predictable financial planning. But this community has done an amazing job sharing workarounds and practical solutions. Thank you all for such a thorough discussion - this kind of collective knowledge sharing is invaluable for understanding these systems before I need to navigate them myself!