Wait im confused...isnt SSI different from regular social security? Maybe the worker was talking about SSI which does have asset and income limits even after retirement age? Just wondering if there was a miscommunication about which program.

Thank you all so much for your helpful responses! I feel much better now knowing that the SSA rep was wrong and that my husband CAN earn unlimited income once he reaches his full retirement age next year without affecting his benefits. We'll definitely print out that SSA webpage for reference. And we'll make sure to verify that his benefit amount gets properly adjusted for any withheld amounts once he reaches FRA. What a relief - this means our retirement plan can proceed as we originally thought! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to help clarify this confusing situation.

Update: I finally got through to SSA after using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. The agent confirmed what you all explained - my benefit IS calculated correctly. She walked me through it step by step. My husband's PIA (full retirement age amount) is $2,340, and my 50% would be $1,170, but since I'm taking it 5 years early, it's reduced by about 35% to $760. Since I have my own small benefit of $152, they pay me that plus the $608 difference. I understand now that my husband filing early doesn't actually reduce my spousal benefit at all - it's based on his full PIA regardless of when he filed. The only reduction is from ME filing early. Thank you all for your help explaining this complicated system!

i wish they would just make this simpler!!! why do we need to be math experts to get our benefits????

After reading more details on the bill, I want to clarify something important: The proposed formula would give you credit for your non-covered earnings (your nursing job) but would still result in a proportionally reduced benefit. The good news is that the arbitrary WEP reduction would be replaced with a formula that treats everyone fairly based on their actual earnings history. But since your covered earnings were minimal, your increase would be at the lower end of the range. If you can access your SSA earnings record, I could give you a better estimate of the potential increase.

With earnings figures like that, I can give you a rough estimate. Under the proposed proportional formula, they would calculate your benefit as if all earnings were covered, then multiply by the proportion of covered to total earnings. With $58,500 covered out of $1,458,500 total (4% covered), your benefit would be approximately 4% of what you'd get if all earnings were covered. That's actually close to what you're getting now, so your increase might be modest - perhaps 10-15%. The people who benefit most from the reform are those with substantial covered earnings (10+ years) alongside their non-covered work.

u should also think about taxes if u take ss and work parttime. my friend did that and got hit with a huge tax bill she wasnt expecting

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've decided to talk to my employer about reducing my hours first before completely retiring. If that doesn't work out, I'll go ahead with retirement knowing what to expect with the benefit reduction and making sure I handle the Medicare enrollment correctly. I'm also going to check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to see if working longer would significantly improve my benefit calculation. I really appreciate all your insights!

my mom started her SS at 67 last year while dad was still working part time at 64. her check wasnt affected by his work at all, but they did have to plan for taxes. they set aside about 15% of her SS check just to be safe. also they found out that when dad does retire she can switch to a spousal benefit if its higher than her own which was news to them! good luck with everything

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to go ahead and file for my benefits at FRA next month. I'll set aside some money for potential taxes, and we'll look at whether spousal benefits make sense when my husband is closer to retirement. I managed to get through to SSA using that service someone mentioned above - the agent confirmed everything you all told me and helped me understand our specific situation. Really appreciate this community!