I'm so glad you asked this question because I was in a very similar situation! My husband passed away two years ago and I also had confusion about the earnings limits with survivor benefits. What everyone has said is absolutely correct - once you reach your FRA, there are NO earnings limits at all. You can work full-time, part-time, or start your own business without any reduction to your survivor benefits. The key thing to remember is that the earnings test completely disappears at FRA for all Social Security benefits. Since you reached FRA in May and you're only earning $1,750/month, you're totally in the clear. Even for those months before your FRA (February through April), your earnings were well below the special limit that applies in the year you reach FRA. One tip from my experience: definitely keep good records of your work earnings and when you started receiving benefits, just in case SSA ever has questions. And don't stress about it - you're doing everything right! It's actually wonderful that you're able to work and stay active while receiving your survivor benefits. That's exactly what the system is designed to allow after FRA.

As someone who works with Social Security beneficiaries regularly, I want to emphasize how great it is that you asked this question! The earnings limit rules can be really confusing, especially when you're dealing with survivor benefits and reaching FRA in the same year. Everyone here has given you accurate information - you're completely in the clear. The key points are: 1. Your $1,750/month was below even the pre-FRA limit for 2025 ($4,710/month) 2. After May (your FRA), there are zero earnings limits 3. This applies to all Social Security benefits, including survivor benefits One thing I'd add: since you mentioned the SSA website being confusing, they actually have a really helpful earnings test calculator if you ever need to check scenarios in the future. But in your case, you don't need it anymore since you've passed FRA! Also, regarding the tax implications others mentioned - survivor benefits have the same tax treatment as retirement benefits, so depending on your total income, some portion might be taxable. But that's completely separate from the earnings test and won't reduce your monthly benefit amount. You're doing everything right, and it sounds like the part-time work is good for you both financially and personally. Keep enjoying that peace of mind!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this decision process recently. I'm 69 and was in a very similar situation - teacher for 28 years, then worked in the private sector. I ultimately decided to wait until 70 and I'm filing next month. What really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to compare the lifetime benefits. Even though waiting means missing out on 2 years of payments, the combination of delayed retirement credits (8% per year) plus the reduced WEP penalty from the new reforms made waiting clearly worth it in my case. One thing to consider: if you're still working part-time in a SS-covered job, those earnings could potentially replace some of your lower-earning years in the benefit calculation, which would increase your Primary Insurance Amount before any WEP reduction is applied. Every little bit helps! The math gets complicated with all these moving pieces, but for most people in our situation (teacher pension + enough SS credits + born after 1954), waiting until 70 is still the optimal strategy even with the new reforms.

I'm in a very similar boat - retired teacher with a state pension, but also worked enough quarters to qualify for Social Security. I've been following the WEP/GPO reform developments closely since it affects so many of us educators. From everything I've read and the discussions with my financial advisor, the consensus seems clear: if you were born after January 1, 1954, you can't use the old "file and suspend" or "restricted application" strategies anymore. When you file, you're automatically filing for all benefits you're eligible for. However, the silver lining is that the WEP/GPO reforms will genuinely help us. The phased implementation starting in 2025 means less of our Social Security will be reduced due to our teacher pensions. Combined with your 23 years of substantial Social Security earnings (which already reduces your WEP penalty), waiting until 70 should maximize your benefit. I'd suggest using the SSA's online calculator and manually reducing the WEP penalty by about 10% to estimate your 2025 benefit, then factor in the delayed retirement credits. That should give you a clearer picture of whether the wait is worth it financially. Also, keep in mind that continuing to work part-time not only adds delayed credits but could potentially replace some lower-earning years in your benefit calculation, further reducing the WEP impact.

To wrap things up for the original poster: During your April 1st phone appointment, you'll go through the actual application process. At that time, you'll be asked when you want your benefits to begin. Specify June 2025 (your FRA month). Applying in April for June benefits is completely fine and won't reduce your benefit amount as long as you select the correct benefit start month. I recommend taking detailed notes during the call, including the name of the representative you speak with. After the application is submitted, you'll receive a confirmation letter - review it carefully to ensure the benefit start date is shown correctly as June 2025.

I'm a bit late to this conversation, but I wanted to share my experience since I went through something very similar last year. When I called SSA to schedule my appointment, the representative used the term "enrollment date" which made me panic thinking I had accidentally enrolled early! Turns out it was just the date they logged my call in their system. During my actual appointment, I made it crystal clear that I wanted my benefits to start in my FRA month, and everything worked out perfectly. The representative even repeated back to me "So you want benefits to begin in [FRA month], is that correct?" before finalizing anything. One tip: When you have your April appointment, ask them to send you a written confirmation showing your selected benefit start date. That way you have documentation if there are any questions later. Good luck!

I'm just wonder if it's even worth working part time with these stupid limits. After taxes and the SS reduction if you go over, seems like you barely keep anything. Anyone done the math on this? Seems like the system punishes people who want to work. I'm 63 and thinking about applying but don't want to deal with all this nonsense.

Here's a breakdown of the Social Security earnings limit rules for 2025 that apply to your situation: 1. Monthly earnings limit: $2,190 (for those under FRA) 2. Annual earnings limit: $26,280 (for those under FRA all year) 3. First year rule: During your first year receiving benefits, you can use the monthly test Since you're starting work in February after already receiving benefits, the monthly earnings test applies. For each month in 2025, you can earn up to $2,190 without affecting your benefits for that month, regardless of your total earnings for the year. Starting in 2026, only the annual limit will apply. If you exceed the annual limit, SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. This continues until you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), when the earnings limit no longer applies and you can earn any amount without reduction in benefits.

Since you're planning to start benefits at 63, keep in mind that your benefit will be permanently reduced by approximately 25% compared to waiting until your Full Retirement Age (which I'm guessing is 67 based on your age). Adding the earnings test reduction on top of that means you'll get significantly less than your full benefit amount. Have you done calculations to determine if it might be better financially to either: 1. Continue working at your current income level and wait until FRA to claim, or 2. Fully retire now (or reduce your income below the earnings limit) to avoid the penalty? Sometimes the math favors one approach over the other depending on your specific situation. The earnings test reduction gets paid back eventually after FRA, but the early claiming reduction is permanent.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help with your planning - since you mentioned health concerns influencing your decision to claim early, that's totally understandable. But consider this: if you can manage to keep your part-time earnings right at or just below the $22,300 limit, you'd avoid the earnings test penalty entirely while still getting some work income. Even reducing from $25k to $22k would save you that $1,350 in withheld benefits. Sometimes cutting back just a few hours or declining overtime can make a big difference. You could also look into whether any of your current income could be restructured (like retirement contributions, HSA contributions, or other pre-tax deductions) to bring your countable earnings below the limit. The peace of mind from avoiding the penalty might be worth the small reduction in work income, especially since you're already planning to work part-time anyway.