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my wife's friend said if you work after getting benefits they can make you pay some back if you earn too much??
That only applies if you're collecting benefits BEFORE your Full Retirement Age (FRA). Once you reach your FRA (66-67 depending on birth year), there's no earnings limit - you can make as much as you want with no penalty or payback. Since the original poster mentioned her husband is 67, he's past his FRA, so no worries about earning too much.
Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! I feel much better knowing the money isn't just disappearing. I'll watch for any potential increase around October, though I won't expect much since his current job pays way less than his career. And definitely appreciate the warning about tax implications - we'll talk to our tax person to avoid surprises!
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i dont understand why ur waiting till 70 for ur own benefits? thats forever away! why not just take everything now and be done with it? my brother waited and then passed away before he ever got to collect the higher amount. just my 2 cents
This is actually a sophisticated strategy that can result in significantly more lifetime benefits. Since the original poster was born before 1954, they qualify for a special rule allowing them to collect survivor benefits now while their own retirement benefit continues growing by 8% annually until age 70. For many people, this results in tens of thousands of additional dollars over their lifetime, especially if they have a normal or better life expectancy. It's not the right choice for everyone, but it's financially optimal in many cases.
UPDATE: I was able to get through by utilizing the phone number of my local office! I called as soon as they opened at 9am and was connected within 10 minutes. They've scheduled my appointment for next Tuesday, and I've already completed my Medicare enrollment online. Thank you everyone for your suggestions and support!
yay! so glad it worked out!! good luck with your appointment!
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One important thing to mention regarding EDS and related conditions - these can be tricky cases because symptoms can vary in severity day to day. Make sure your son's medical records capture this variability rather than just how he presents on "good days." A symptom diary documenting day-to-day limitations can be extremely helpful evidence. Have him track things like: - Pain levels throughout the day - Activities attempted and whether he could complete them - Hours spent resting/recovering after activities - Medication side effects - Episodes of dizziness, fatigue, joint dislocations, etc. This kind of documentation can be powerful when combined with medical records, especially for conditions with invisible symptoms that might not be obvious during brief medical appointments.
That's a brilliant suggestion - his symptoms do fluctuate dramatically from day to day. Some days he seems almost typical, then he's bedridden for the next three. I'll have him start tracking this immediately. Would a simple journal work, or should we use a specific format that SSA prefers?
A simple journal is fine, but I recommend creating a consistent format that includes: 1. Date and time 2. Symptom/limitation description 3. Severity rating (1-10) 4. Duration 5. What helped (if anything) 6. What activities were impacted This format makes it easier for SSA to connect symptoms to specific functional limitations that would prevent work. For example, instead of just "I was dizzy today," entries like "Severe dizziness (8/10) when standing for more than 5 minutes; had to lie down for 2 hours afterward; couldn't prepare meals or shower" provide the functional details SSA needs. Also, make sure your son is seeing his doctors regularly throughout this process. Gaps in treatment can be used against your case, even when those gaps occur because he's too ill to get to appointments.
my friend made a spreadsheet for this! she said it really helped her case to show patterns
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DONT FORGET ABOUT TAXES!!!!! Even if you stay under the earnings limit, you might still have to pay taxes on your Social Security benefits if your combined income is high enough. Up to 85% of your benefits can be taxable depending on your total income. Nobody warned me about this and I got hit with a surprise tax bill my first year on SS. 😡
When I retired last year the SSA rep told me something that helped me understand this: think of the earnings limit as ONLY counting money you actively work for. Your pension, investments, rental income, and most importantly your SS benefits do NOT count toward the earnings limit. Only wages from a job or self-employment count.
Thanks everyone for all this helpful info! I think I'm going to go ahead with taking SS 4 months early since the reduction is small, and I'll make sure to keep my weekend job earnings well under the limit until I hit my FRA in June. At that point I can work as much as I want without worrying about it. This has been so helpful!
Mikayla Brown
one thing nobody mentioned is that youre on survivor benefits not regular retirement so theres different rules sometimes. but at your age it doesnt matter youre good to work
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Ruby Knight
•That's a good point about the different benefit types, but in this specific case the earnings test works the same way for both retirement and survivor benefits. Once you're past FRA, there's no limit for either type.
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Douglas Foster
To summarize what everyone has said: 1) At 67, you're past FRA so there's NO earnings limit 2) You will keep 100% of your survivor benefits no matter how much you earn 3) Working could potentially make some of your benefits taxable if your total income exceeds certain thresholds 4) Working now might actually increase your benefit slightly if you replace lower-earning years in your calculation. Sounds like taking that bookstore job is a good move for you!
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Haley Bennett
•Thank you so much for this clear summary! I feel much more confident now about accepting the bookstore position. I really appreciate everyone's help - this has been weighing on my mind for weeks!
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