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My wife and I went thru this last year. What a headache! We ended up estimating too high and got less subsidy than we shoulda. Make sure you ONLY count the SS income that's taxable for marketplace (which isnt the same as taxable for IRS). I think theres a worksheet on healthcare.gov somewhere.
Oh wow, I didn't realize there was a difference between taxable for IRS versus Marketplace! Now I'm even more confused. I'll look for that worksheet you mentioned. Thanks!
One last important point: For Marketplace insurance income calculations, you need to report your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), which may include some non-taxable Social Security benefits depending on your other income. The Marketplace uses a specific calculation for Social Security benefits that differs from normal tax rules. If your income is below certain thresholds, you may not need to count all of your Social Security benefits toward your Marketplace MAGI. I recommend using the Marketplace's income calculator tool on healthcare.gov to get the most accurate estimate for your specific situation.
Thank you! I found the calculator tool on healthcare.gov and it's really helpful. I appreciate everyone's advice - I feel much more confident about calculating our income correctly now!
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I think everyone is overthinking this. Its just a seasonal job way under SGA. Report it and dont worry.
Did anyone mention EXTENDED PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY??? After the 9 TWP months there's 36 MORE months where benefits can restart without a new application if earnings drop below SGA!!! The SSA website is SO CONFUSING about this!!!
You're right about the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), but for this specific situation with temporary seasonal work below both TWP and SGA thresholds, the OP's daughter likely won't need to worry about EPE details yet. It's good information to have if she decides to work more regularly in the future though.
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Thank you all for the helpful responses! I now understand that my husband won't get any additional amount since his benefit is already more than half of mine. I appreciate the clarification about survivor benefits too - that's something we hadn't considered in our planning. I'm going to talk with him about whether it might make sense for him to delay claiming even past his FRA since his benefit would continue to grow. Does anyone know if the spousal benefit calculations change if he waits until 70?
Great question about delaying beyond FRA! The spousal benefit calculation doesn't change - it's still maxed at 50% of your PIA. Since his own benefit already exceeds the spousal maximum, delaying to 70 would only increase his own retirement benefit (by 8% per year from FRA to 70). Given that his own benefit is already higher than what he'd get as a spouse, delaying to age 70 could be advantageous if he's in good health and expects longevity. His retirement benefit would increase by about 32% if he waits from FRA to 70, potentially reaching around $2,500/month instead of $1,900.
my sister in law was in this same boat. her husbands check was like $700 less than hers and he didnt get any extra. but then when she needed to go on medicare it took a bigger chunk out of her check cause she was in a higher income bracket. so theres other stuff to think about too with the higher benefit sometimes.
That's a good point about IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). If your combined income exceeds certain thresholds, you may pay higher Medicare Part B and D premiums. For 2025, the first threshold is $103,000 for married filing jointly. It's definitely something to factor into retirement planning.
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My mother in law got TOTALLY screwed by SS on this exact thing!!! She retired in March and started benefits in April but did some part time work in October. They counted ALL her income for the year and reduced her benefits AND made her pay back money!!! The system is rigged against us seniors!!!!
That's not actually Social Security being unfair - those are just the rules of the monthly earnings test. If you work even one month after starting benefits in your first year of retirement, the grace period (monthly test) no longer applies, and they have to use the annual test instead. It's important for everyone to understand this rule to avoid unexpected consequences.
btw when does ur husband reach full retirement age? cuz the earnings limit goes way up in the year he reaches FRA and then goes away completely the month he hits FRA
He's only 63 now, so his FRA is 67. We've got 4 more years of dealing with the earnings limits. But at least now I understand how it works! Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice!
Noland Curtis
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I just spoke with my husband and showed him all this information. We're going to apply this week but make sure his start date is set for April when he reaches FRA. So grateful for the warning about making sure they don't backdate his application - we wouldn't have thought of that! It's such a relief to know he can continue his part-time schedule without worrying about penalties. The Social Security website makes this all seem so much more complicated than it needed to be.
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Diez Ellis
•Glad we could help! One last tip - after you apply, check his my Social Security account online about a week later to verify the start date was entered correctly. You'll see the pending application with the month benefits begin. If it shows anything other than April, call immediately to have it corrected before processing completes.
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Laila Prince
The REAL problem here is that Social Security's rules are needlessly complicated and their website explains things terribly. I had to read books and hire a financial advisor just to figure out the best way to claim. And don't even get me started on their calculators...
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