does anyone know if they give back this money they take? or is it just gone forever?

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 63 and considering taking early retirement benefits while doing some consulting work, but after reading all of this I'm realizing I need to be much more careful about the earnings limit than I thought. The fact that they take full months instead of partial amounts is a huge detail that's not well communicated. Does anyone know if there's a good resource or calculator that can help estimate how many months of benefits would be withheld based on expected earnings? I want to make sure I understand the real impact before I make this decision.

I went through this exact same confusion when I started my TWP two years ago! The "earned vs received" question drove me crazy because different SSA reps gave me different answers. Here's what I learned from actual experience: SSA's official policy says they count earnings when EARNED, but in practice, they almost always use the pay period end date on your paystub to determine which month to count the earnings toward. For your son's situation with the May 26-June 8 pay period paid on June 15th - SSA would likely count all of that toward June since June 8th is the pay period end date. My advice based on going through this: 1. Report every paystub through the my Social Security portal 2. Keep screenshots of everything you submit 3. If you're worried about a specific pay period crossing months AND the amount is close to the $1,110 threshold, add a note explaining the breakdown 4. Don't overthink it too much - the TWP is meant to help, not punish The most important thing is consistent reporting. I've never been asked for timesheets, just paystubs. Your son is lucky to have you helping him navigate this - it's confusing even for adults who've been dealing with it for years!

I work for a disability advocacy organization and deal with TWP questions regularly. The confusion about "earned vs received" is one of the most common issues we see, and honestly, SSA's inconsistent application of their own rules makes it worse. Here's what I tell clients: Officially, SSA counts wages when EARNED (when work is performed), but operationally, they typically use the pay period end date on paystubs unless there's a compelling reason to dig deeper. This means for your son's May 26-June 8 pay period, it would likely count toward June's TWP calculation since June 8 is the end date. A few practical tips from our experience: 1. Always report wages promptly - don't wait for "perfect" documentation 2. If a pay period crosses months AND puts you near the $1,110 threshold, include a brief note with the breakdown 3. Keep timesheets as backup, but don't stress if you don't have perfect records - SSA rarely requests them 4. Focus on consistent reporting rather than perfect precision The TWP is designed to be protective, not punitive. Even if a month unexpectedly counts as a TWP month, remember it's 9 months within a 60-month rolling period, so one "surprise" month won't derail the process. Your son is fortunate to have such a supportive parent helping him navigate this. Mental health conditions can make work attempts especially challenging, but the TWP provides good protections for people testing their work capacity.

That's such great news! I'm so glad she was able to get through and get a clear answer. It's really helpful that you shared the update - I'm sure other people going through similar situations will benefit from knowing that this processing delay is normal and that backpay will be included. Four to six weeks seems like a long time to wait, but at least now she knows what to expect. Thanks for following up with the resolution!

This is such a relief to hear! I'm actually in a very similar situation - I'm 63 and just started the process of applying for both my own retirement benefits and divorced spouse benefits from my ex-husband (we were married 14 years). Your sister's experience is exactly what I needed to know about potential processing delays. I was worried something would go wrong or that I'd made an error in my application. Now I know to expect my own retirement benefit first and then wait for the divorced spouse portion to process separately. The 4-6 week timeline is helpful to know upfront. Thank you so much for sharing this journey and the final resolution - it's going to save me a lot of stress when I get my first payment!

I can understand the confusion - there's a lot of misinformation floating around about Social Security calculations! Let me add some clarity from someone who went through this recently. I'm 63 and just went through the detailed benefit calculation process with SSA. Your earnings from 60 until your FRA absolutely DO count toward your highest 35 years. The key difference people get confused about is the "indexing" - earnings before age 60 get adjusted upward for wage inflation, while earnings at 60+ are used at their actual dollar amount. But here's the important part: if your current $78,000 salary is higher than some of your earlier years (even after those earlier years are indexed for inflation), then yes, these recent years will boost your benefit calculation by replacing lower-earning years. I'd strongly recommend logging into your my.ssa.gov account to see your complete earnings history and get an updated benefit estimate. It shows exactly which years are being used in your top 35 calculation. In my case, my earnings from ages 60-63 replaced several low-earning years from my twenties, increasing my projected monthly benefit by about $200. Don't let the misinformation discourage you from working until your FRA if that's your plan - those higher-earning years can really pay off in retirement!

I'm so glad to see this question being asked! I just turned 62 and have been getting conflicting advice from friends and family about this exact issue. My financial advisor told me to keep working because my recent earnings would help boost my Social Security benefits, but my brother-in-law (who retired early) kept insisting that only earnings before 60 "really count." Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. It sounds like the key takeaway is that ALL earnings can potentially be part of your highest 35 years calculation, regardless of when you earned them. The indexing difference for pre-60 vs. post-60 earnings doesn't mean the later years count less - it's just a different method of calculation. I'm in a similar situation to the original poster - earning more now than I did in my earlier career years. I think I'll follow the advice here and check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to see exactly where I stand. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences and clearing up the confusion!

Based on all the information and corrections, here's a summary of your optimal strategy: 1. Apply now but specify January 2025 as your benefit start month 2. Make sure to apply for both your retirement benefit and the spousal benefit simultaneously 3. Your March-May earnings ($10,500) are well below the pre-FRA limit, so no benefits will be withheld 4. The permanent reduction for starting 5 months early is minimal ($52/month) compared to receiving 5 extra months of payments 5. After June 2025 (your FRA), you can earn unlimited amounts without affecting your benefits Taking benefits in January 2025 appears to be the mathematically optimal choice in your specific situation.

Congratulations on doing your homework before making this decision! As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through all the helpful responses here. One thing I'd add that might be worth considering - when you apply online, make sure to print or save copies of everything you submit. I've heard from friends that having documentation can be really helpful if any questions come up later about your application or benefit calculations. Also, after you submit your application, you should receive a confirmation letter from SSA within a few weeks confirming your benefit amounts and start date. Good luck with your application!