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The earnings limit is SUCH A HEADACHE! My advice? Have your husband tell his boss he needs to be paid MONTHLY, with the pay periods matching calendar months. That would solve everything. Not sure why companies can't figure this out when so many older workers have this exact problem with Social Security!
Since several people mentioned reporting: Your husband should call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report his return to work. Alternatively, he can report estimated earnings online through his my Social Security account or in person at a local office. For calculating his earnings during his first year of retirement, SSA uses the "Grace Year" rule. This means they'll look at his monthly earnings for the remainder of 2024. For each month he earns under the limit ($1,860), he'll receive his full benefit regardless of annual totals. Starting in 2025, SSA will switch to annual accounting. They'll estimate his expected earnings for the year and may adjust his benefits accordingly. If the estimate changes, he should update SSA to avoid overpayments. Keeping detailed records is absolutely critical - especially the breakdown of exactly which days' work falls into which calendar month.
what happens if u earn MORE than u expected? do they make u pay it back or just take it from future benefits?
Great question. If you earn more than you estimated, you're required to notify SSA. They'll adjust future payments to recover any overpayment. If you don't report it, they'll eventually catch it when tax records are processed and you could receive an overpayment notice requiring repayment. It's better to report changes proactively so there are no surprises.
I went through the exact same thing last yr trying to figure this all out. My advise is go to the ssa.gov site and use their retirement calculators. They were really helpful for me to see all the different scenarios.
my mom got benefits from 2 exhusbands at the same time so it might depend on ur situation call them and check dont listen to ppl on here
That's not possible under Social Security rules. You can be eligible for benefits from multiple spouses/ex-spouses, but you'll only receive the highest amount you're eligible for. Your mother might have received benefits sequentially (first from one ex, then switched to another when it was more advantageous) or she might have received benefits from one ex-spouse and then survivor benefits after another ex passed away, but she wouldn't receive multiple benefits simultaneously.
Has anyone actually successfully claimed on an ex-spouse's record after being widowed from a subsequent marriage? I'm just trying to understand what the process will be like when the time comes. Should I go to my local SSA office or try to handle it by phone?
I did this last year after my husband passed. The local office was backed up for months, so I made a phone appointment using Claimyr to skip the wait. The agent walked me through all my options based on my marriage history. In-person is good if you have lots of documents they need to see, but phone worked fine for my initial application. They just needed me to fax/upload the supporting documents afterward.
One important factor many people overlook is the impact on survivor benefits. If you're married, the higher of the two spouse's benefits becomes the survivor benefit when one passes away. If you expect your benefit to be higher than your spouse's, waiting to claim increases not just your retirement benefit but potentially your spouse's survivor benefit as well. This creates an additional incentive to delay, especially with family longevity on your side. The survivor benefit protection is essentially free "insurance" that comes with delaying your claim. If you're concerned about Social Security's future, remember that any legislative changes would almost certainly be phased in gradually and likely wouldn't affect those already near retirement age. Current retirees and those close to retirement are typically protected in reform proposals.
Amelia Martinez
just wondering - did your sister check if she qualifies for the one-time death payment of $255? its not much but at least its somthing while she figures out the survivor benefits
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Mia Rodriguez
•No, I don't think she knows about that! Thanks for mentioning it - I'll definitely tell her to ask about that when she contacts SSA.
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Jacob Lewis
To summarize what your sister should do now: 1. File for survivor benefits immediately (even if she'll receive $0 now) 2. Request detailed calculations showing how the earnings test applies to her specific case 3. Consider reducing work hours if financially feasible 4. Plan ahead for whether to take full survivor benefits at FRA or switch between benefits 5. Apply for the $255 death payment if she hasn't already The most important thing is getting an application on file. Benefits can be retroactive for up to six months for survivors, but only if the application is filed.
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Mia Rodriguez
•This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'm going to help my sister put together a list of questions and make sure she gets that application filed right away. I really appreciate everyone's advice and explanations.
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