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Social Security earnings limit question - Do marketplace sales and plasma donations count toward the $1860 monthly limit?
My husband started collecting Social Security retirement early at 62, and our kids also get benefits on his record. We know he's allowed to earn up to $1860/month from employment before losing benefits for that month (the 2025 earnings limit). But I'm confused about what exactly counts as 'earnings' for this limit. He has two side activities that I'm not sure about: 1. He repairs broken stuff we get cheap/free (bikes, lawn equipment, kids' Power Wheels, etc.) and sells them on Facebook Marketplace or sometimes Mercari/eBay. Some months he might make $300-400 doing this. 2. He donates plasma twice weekly and gets about $500/month for this. Do either of these count toward his $1860 monthly earnings limit? We're being really careful about staying under the limit since if he goes over, both he AND the kids lose their benefits for that month. Anyone know how SSA views these types of income? Thanks for any help!
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Can I claim Social Security benefits on ex-husband's disability record at 60? Child's benefits ending soon
I just discovered something that's making me sick with worry. My daughter (18) has been receiving auxiliary benefits on my ex-husband's SSDI record since he became disabled 12 years ago. Her benefits will stop when she graduates high school in May. Yesterday, my neighbor (who works as a paralegal) mentioned I should have been receiving ex-spouse benefits all this time too! When my ex first got approved for disability, I specifically asked the SSA representative if I qualified for anything, and they told me only my daughter was eligible. We were married for 17 years before divorcing, and I'm turning 60 next month. If I really was entitled to benefits all these years but never received them because of incorrect information, I'm devastated. That money would have made such a difference as a struggling single mom. Can anyone knowledgeable about divorce and disability benefits clarify if I was actually eligible? And if so, is there any way to claim those missed payments now? I'm so upset about this possibility.
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one more thing - when u do turn 62 make sure u check if its better to take ur own SS or the ex-spouse benefit. depends on ur work history. if u take it at 62 its reduced no matter what
This is excellent advice. At 62, both your own retirement benefit and any ex-spouse benefit would be reduced by about 30% compared to waiting until your Full Retirement Age (FRA). You'll get whichever is higher - your own benefit or the ex-spouse benefit - not both. If your own work record would give you a higher benefit, you might not need the ex-spouse benefit at all. The SSA should be able to tell you the projected amounts for both options.
Thank you all for this valuable information! I'm disappointed I might have missed out on some benefits when my daughter was younger, but at least I understand the rules better now. I'll definitely check on both my own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit when I turn 62 to see which is better. I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with SSA to discuss everything properly. I feel less anxious now that I have more knowledge about how this all works.
Good plan to meet with SSA. One last tip: bring your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and ex's Social Security number if you have it. This will help them look up your specific situation more efficiently. And definitely mention that you were never informed about potential mother's benefits when your daughter was younger - it probably won't result in back payments, but it might help them improve their training for representatives.
Will I get Social Security survivor benefits at 70 after WEP/GPO reduced them to $0 years ago?
I'm turning 70 next month and trying to figure out if I qualify for survivor benefits now. My situation: My husband passed away in 2015 from cancer at age 59. He had applied for SSDI when he got diagnosed but died before any payments started. I was 59 at the time and working as a county employee under a pension system (not covered by Social Security). When I initially applied for survivor benefits back then, I got that dreaded GPO reduction letter saying my pension completely offset any survivor benefits, so I'd receive $0. Now I'm retiring from my job and wondering if I'm eligible to receive survivor benefits at 70? Would they calculate based on what his benefit would have been in 2015 when he filed for SSDI? Or would they recalculate based on what he would have received at his FRA? And does the Government Pension Offset still apply the same way now that I'm turning 70? The SSA website is so confusing on this topic!
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u should definitely reapply anyway. my aunt got denied three times for disability but kept trying and finally got approved. sometimes u just get a different person reviewing ur case.
While persistence can help with disability claims that involve subjective evaluation, GPO calculations are unfortunately very straightforward math. If 2/3 of the pension exceeds the survivor benefit amount, the result will be $0. That said, it never hurts to verify the calculation is correct, especially with COLA adjustments over time.
Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to make an appointment with my local Social Security office to review my specific situation. I'll also try that Claimyr service to speak with someone by phone before my appointment so I'm better prepared. It sounds like I might still get $0 due to GPO, but at least I'll know for sure and can check if they're calculating everything correctly. I'll update this thread after I speak with them in case it helps others in my situation!
Can I claim survivor benefits at 63 if my spouse died when they were 50? Did I lose years of SS payments?
My husband passed away 10 years ago when he was only 50 (I was 53 at the time). I've been working all this time and just realized I might qualify for survivor benefits. I'm turning 63 next month and wondering if I can apply for survivor benefits now, or if I should wait until 65? I never remarried. The Social Security website is confusing me - it seems like I could have claimed reduced benefits earlier? Have I been missing out on money all these years? I feel sick thinking about how much I might have lost by not knowing this. Anyone have experience with this situation?
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I just remembered - my cousin had major problems trying to apply for survivor benefits online. The website kept glitching and then they processed her application wrong!!! She ended up having to go in person after waiting online for like 3 months!! If I were you I would just try to talk to a real person right away and not mess with their horrible website!!!
That's why I mentioned that Claimyr service - it's the only reliable way I found to actually reach a human at SSA. Trying to handle survivor benefits through the website is a nightmare.
Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I've scheduled an appointment with my local SSA office for next week, and I've made notes about asking for the "restricted application" option. I'm still upset about potentially losing 3 years of benefits, but at least I can make better choices going forward. I'll update after my appointment to let you know how it goes and what they tell me about my options.
Good luck with your appointment! Make sure to bring your husband's death certificate, your marriage certificate, both your Social Security numbers, and your ID. It's always better to bring too much documentation than not enough.
Will my government pension reduce my Social Security benefits with $36,000 income?
I'm retiring next year after 27 years as a state government employee with a pension. I've also worked enough in the private sector to qualify for Social Security benefits. I'm confused about whether my pension will affect my Social Security amount. Someone told me there's a limit of $36,000, and if my combined income goes over that, they'll reduce my Social Security payments? Is this the WEP or GPO thing I've heard about? I'm trying to budget for retirement and this has me worried. I currently expect about $2,450/month from my pension and would be eligible for around $1,650 in Social Security benefits. Thanks for any clarification!
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my brother in law had almost the same situation and what nobody told him was that some states have agreements with SSA that exempt certain employees from WEP. worth checking if your state job might be exempt!
Really? I had no idea some state jobs might be exempt! I worked for the Department of Education in our state. I'll definitely ask about possible exemptions when I talk to SSA. Thanks for the tip!
You need to get your Social Security Statement and also your pension statement, then use the WEP calculator on the SSA website. Don't trust what the regular benefit estimate shows! Here's what affects your WEP reduction: 1. How many years you paid into Social Security with "substantial earnings" 2. Whether your pension is from work where you paid SS taxes 3. When you plan to start taking benefits Last tip: If you haven't retired yet, sometimes working an extra year or two in Social Security-covered employment can significantly reduce the WEP penalty. Worth considering if you're close to another threshold year.
That's a great suggestion about working longer in covered employment. I haven't officially retired yet, so maybe I should look into getting a part-time job that pays into Social Security for a year or two after I leave my state job. Might be worth it to boost my benefits for the long term.
Layla Sanders
One thing nobody's mentioned - if your husband goes over the earnings limit in a month, ONLY THAT MONTH'S benefits are affected. It's not like you lose everything forever! And once he reaches full retirement age (66+), the earnings limit goes away completely and he can earn as much as he wants with no penalty. So even if you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world.
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Anna Stewart
AuthorThat's really good to know! I was envisioning worst-case scenarios where we'd have to pay back everything. It's still scary since we rely on those payments, but at least it would be limited to just the months he went over. And you're right - only 4 more years until he doesn't have to worry about this at all!
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Kaylee Cook
wait plasma donations are worth $500 a month???? maybe i should start doing that lol
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Adrian Hughes
yeah but its not easy money... my cousin does it and says it takes like 2 hrs each time and u feel pretty wiped out after. plus they dont pay as much if u dont weigh enough or if your protein levels drop.
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