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Thank you all SO MUCH for this helpful information. I feel much better about her trying to work now. I'm going to help her look into Ticket to Work and make sure we document everything carefully. It sounds like a part-time minimum wage job should be safe as long as we stay under that SGA amount and report everything promptly. It would mean so much for her self-esteem to have even a small real job after everything she's been through.
I'm so glad you're feeling more confident about this! Your daughter is lucky to have such a supportive parent helping her navigate these complex rules. One small thing I'd add - when she does start working, it might be helpful to set up a simple spreadsheet or notebook to track her monthly earnings alongside all the documentation everyone mentioned. That way you can easily see if she's approaching any limits and have everything organized if SSA ever requests information. The fact that she's already volunteering and building confidence shows she's ready for this next step. Wishing her all the best with finding the right part-time opportunity!
That's such a wonderful idea about the spreadsheet! I wish someone had told me that when I was helping my brother navigate work and SSI years ago. Having everything in one place makes such a difference, especially when you're already dealing with the stress of managing a disability. It's really heartwarming to see how supportive this community is - reading through all these responses gives me hope that people can successfully work while maintaining their benefits when they have the right information and support system.
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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where my wife is considering delaying her benefits to maximize delayed retirement credits. After reading all these responses, I now understand that I should file for spousal benefits as soon as she files (even if she suspends her payments to continue earning credits), since my spousal benefit won't increase beyond the 50% of her FRA amount regardless. One question I haven't seen addressed - when filing for spousal benefits, does the SSA automatically compare your own retirement benefit to the spousal benefit and give you whichever is higher? Or do you need to specifically request that comparison? I want to make sure I don't accidentally leave money on the table by not asking for the right thing during my appointment. Also, thanks to everyone who mentioned Claimyr - I've been dreading trying to get through to SSA but that sounds like it could save a lot of headaches!
SSA will automatically compare your own retirement benefit to the spousal benefit and pay you whichever combination gives you the higher total amount. You don't need to specifically request this comparison - it's built into their system. If your own benefit is higher than 50% of your wife's PIA, you'll just get your own benefit. If the spousal benefit would be higher, they'll pay your own benefit first, then add the "excess spousal benefit" to bring you up to that 50% level. So you don't have to worry about asking for the "right thing" - just apply for benefits and they'll calculate what gives you the most money automatically!
This has been such an informative discussion! I'm dealing with a very similar situation and had the same confusion about delayed retirement credits and spousal benefits. It's really helpful to see it confirmed multiple times that spousal benefits are capped at 50% of the PIA at FRA, regardless of any delayed credits the worker earns. One thing I wanted to add that might be useful - when you have your appointment in March, make sure to ask about the "deemed filing" rules. Since your husband is past his FRA, he should be able to file just for spousal benefits without being forced to also file for his own retirement benefit (if his own benefit is lower). This gives you more flexibility in your claiming strategy. Also, I second what others have said about bringing documentation to your appointment. In addition to the marriage certificate, having recent earnings statements or tax returns can help if there are any questions about work history or current employment status. Good luck with your appointment! It sounds like you're making smart decisions by maximizing those delayed retirement credits while getting the spousal benefits started.
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does anyone know if they give back this money they take? or is it just gone forever?
Yes, you do eventually get the money back! When you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), Social Security recalculates your benefit amount. The months that were withheld due to the earnings test are essentially credited back to you in the form of a higher monthly benefit for the rest of your life. So the money isn't permanently lost - the penalty is more like a deferral of benefits until you reach FRA.
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.
Great question! While SSA doesn't have a specific calculator for this, you can do the math yourself pretty easily. Take your expected earnings over the limit, divide by 2 (that's your penalty amount), then divide that by your monthly benefit amount to see how many full months they'd withhold (always round up). For example: if you go over by $3,000, your penalty is $1,500. If your monthly benefit is $1,200, they'd withhold 2 full months ($2,400 total). There are also some online retirement calculators that factor in the earnings test, but double-check their assumptions. The key is being conservative in your estimates since they always round up to full months!
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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!
Thank you for sharing your real-world experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who has actually been through this process. The fact that you've never been asked for timesheets is particularly helpful to know. I'm definitely going to follow your advice about consistent reporting through the my Social Security portal and keeping screenshots. The screenshot tip is something I hadn't thought of but makes total sense given how important it is to have proof of what was submitted. You're right that I might be overthinking this - it's just scary as a parent watching your kid try to navigate these complex systems while also managing a serious mental health condition. But hearing from people like you who have successfully gone through the TWP gives me a lot more confidence that we can handle this too. Thanks for the encouragement about helping him - sometimes I worry I'm being too involved, but these rules are genuinely confusing even for people without disabilities!
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.
Ezra Collins
As someone new to receiving Social Security benefits, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just started getting my retirement payments a few months ago and wasn't sure how holidays would affect the schedule. Based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like the key is to prepare for potential banking delays rather than SSA delays. I'm definitely going to contact my credit union this week to ask about their holiday processing timeline. It's reassuring to know that the payment will still come on December 24th - I was worried it might get pushed all the way to after New Year's!
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Micah Trail
•Welcome to the Social Security community! It's great that you're being proactive about understanding the payment schedule. Since you're new to this, I'd also suggest creating an account on MySocialSecurity.gov if you haven't already - it's really helpful for tracking your payments and getting official updates. And yes, definitely check with your credit union about their processing times. Credit unions often have different holiday schedules than big banks, so it's worth asking specifically about deposits received on December 24th and how quickly they'll be available in your account.
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Alicia Stern
Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been getting Social Security for about 15 years now. The December payment situation has come up several times, and here's what I've learned: The SSA is actually pretty reliable about getting payments out on schedule, even around holidays. The real wildcard is always your bank or credit union. What I do now is check my account balance online the evening before my expected payment date, then again first thing in the morning. If it's not there by noon on the payment day, I call my bank directly rather than SSA. Nine times out of ten, it's just a processing delay on the bank's end. Also, if you're really concerned about December 24th, you might consider switching to paper checks just for that month - you can change it back to direct deposit afterward. The paper check usually arrives a day or two before the electronic deposit would hit anyway.
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Savanna Franklin
•That's really helpful advice about checking with the bank first rather than calling SSA! I'm also pretty new to this whole system and was planning to panic-call SSA if my December payment seemed late. The tip about temporarily switching to paper checks for December is interesting too - I hadn't thought about that option. Do you know if there's a deadline for requesting that change, or can you switch back and forth pretty easily? I'm still learning all the ins and outs of managing Social Security payments, so any practical tips like these are really appreciated!
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