does anyone know how much theyll take back if you go over? is it like dollar for dollar or some weird calculation?

Thanks everyone for your help! After checking my W-2 more carefully, I see the auto allowance is included in Box 1, so it does count toward my earnings. I calculated that I exceeded the limit by about $3,200, which means SSA will probably withhold around $1,600 of my benefits based on the $1-for-$2 rule. I called my employer and confirmed the auto allowance is considered additional compensation, not a direct reimbursement of expenses. I'm going to try using that Claimyr service to reach SSA and ask about my options. Would it be better to proactively pay back some benefits now, or wait for them to send me a notice? I'd rather deal with this before filing my taxes if possible.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like you might actually be okay filing in March since your January-June earnings ($29K) would likely be under the 2025 limit. But I wanted to add something I learned when my mom went through this - make sure to ask SSA about the monthly earnings test option too. In addition to the annual earnings limit, there's also a monthly test that can sometimes be more favorable if your earnings vary throughout the year. For any month where you earn less than 1/12th of the annual limit (so probably under $4,900/month for 2025), you can receive your full survivor benefit for that month regardless of your annual total. This might give you more flexibility if you have any lower-earning months or can time things like bonuses or vacation payouts. Definitely worth asking about when you call SSA!

I'm really sorry for your loss. This is such a difficult time to be dealing with these complex financial decisions on top of everything else you're going through. From what I've learned in my own research (though I haven't been in your exact situation), the key seems to be that you're right at the borderline where this could work in your favor. With a $58K annual salary, your January-June earnings would be roughly $29K, which should be well under the projected 2025 earnings limit of around $59K. One thing I'd suggest is also looking into whether you have any control over the timing of income in those first six months - like deferring bonuses, taking unpaid time off, or adjusting overtime if possible. Even small adjustments could give you more buffer room under the limit. The other commenters have given great advice about calling SSA for a personalized calculation. Given that you're so close to the threshold, it's definitely worth getting an official answer rather than guessing. The peace of mind alone would be worth the effort of getting through to them. Best of luck with whatever you decide - there's no wrong choice here, just different trade-offs between getting benefits sooner versus avoiding any potential complications.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed at how thorough and helpful everyone has been in explaining Carmen's situation! I'm currently 55 with a spouse who's 8 years older, so while not exactly the same gap, I'm definitely taking notes on all this advice. The thing that really stands out to me is how @Liam Fitzgerald broke down those exact reduction percentages - that makes the financial impact so much clearer than just hearing "you'll get less if you file early." I had no clue about deemed filing either, which seems like a critical piece that could really trip people up if they don't understand it. @GalacticGuru, thanks for sharing that Claimyr tip - I've been putting off calling SSA for months because of the horror stories about wait times. Carmen, it sounds like you've got some great guidance here, and I hope you'll update us on what you decide to do! This thread is going in my bookmarks for future reference.

As someone new to this community and Social Security benefits in general, I want to echo what others have said about how incredibly helpful and informative this discussion has been! I'm currently 52 with a spouse who's 7 years older, so Carmen's situation really resonates with me. What I'm finding most valuable is how @Liam Fitzgerald has provided such clear, official guidance with those specific reduction percentages - it makes the decision much more concrete when you can see exactly what filing at each age would mean financially. The deemed filing rule was completely unknown to me before reading this thread, and it seems like such a crucial detail that could really impact someone's strategy if they don't understand it. I'm also grateful to @GalacticGuru for sharing that Claimyr service tip - I've been dreading the thought of trying to get through to SSA by phone, so having an alternative that actually works sounds amazing. Carmen, I hope you'll keep us posted on what you ultimately decide! This whole conversation is going straight into my Social Security planning folder for future reference.

Just wanted to add something important that might affect your sister - if she's working at all while on SSDI (even part-time under the SGA limits), she should be aware that the earnings test for retirement benefits works differently than SSDI work rules. Once she converts to retirement benefits at her FRA (67 for someone born in 1960), there's no limit on how much she can earn from work. But if she decides to take early retirement before her FRA, different earnings limits would apply. Since she's only turning 65 this year and her FRA is 67, she'll continue on SSDI for two more years with the same work restrictions until the automatic conversion happens.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation with my mom who's been on SSDI for 6 years and is turning 64 next month. Reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I need to figure out her exact FRA since it sounds like the conversion won't happen at 65 like I assumed. One question I haven't seen addressed - does SSA send any kind of annual statement or summary to SSDI recipients like they do for people who haven't filed for benefits yet? My mom used to get those statements in the mail before she went on disability, but I don't think she's gotten one since. Would be helpful to have that information to plan ahead for the conversion.

As someone who just went through this process myself (applied in November for February start), I can completely relate to that anxiety! The waiting is the worst part. I had the exact same two-bar situation for what felt like forever, and then suddenly around mid-January the third bar filled and I got my award letter within a week. Your timeline is actually really good - applying in December for April gives SSA plenty of time. I've learned that retirement applications are much more straightforward than other types of claims since they mainly just need to verify your work history and age, both of which are already in their system. One tip that helped my peace of mind: set up Informed Delivery with USPS if you haven't already. That way you'll know immediately when your award letter is coming in the mail. The letter will have your exact benefit amount and payment schedule, which really helps with the budget planning you mentioned. Try not to check your account more than once a week - I was obsessively checking daily and it just made the anxiety worse! You're going to be fine.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied in early December for April benefits and I've been at two progress bars for weeks. Reading everyone's experiences here is so reassuring - it sounds like this is completely normal timing. What really helped me was when someone mentioned that SSA processes about 6 million retirement applications per year, so they have this process down to a science. The fact that we haven't been contacted for additional documents is actually a really good sign that our applications are straightforward. I've also been reminding myself that they have every incentive to process these on time since delayed payments create more work for them with backpay calculations and customer service calls. Hang in there - sounds like we're both going to be fine!