Can I earn $4960/month before FRA when turning 66? Social Security earnings limit confusion

The agent is wrong. higher limit ONLY applies in the actual year u reach FRA, not when u turn 66!! In 2025 you're still under the regular limit (around $22k i think) until Jan 2026 when the higher limit kicks in. call back and talk to someone else!!!

That's what I thought! I was so confused because everything I've read says it's the calendar year you reach FRA. I'll definitely call back. Thanks for confirming!

Let me clarify the Social Security earnings limit rules:1. For years before the year you reach FRA, the 2025 annual limit is $22,320 ($1,860 monthly)2. For the year you reach FRA (in your case 2026), the higher limit applies - $74,160 annually ($6,180 monthly), but only for months BEFORE you reach FRA3. Once you reach your FRA (March 2026), there is NO earnings limitSo for all of 2025, you're under the $22,320 annual limit. The higher limit begins January 2026 until your birthday in March 2026, after which you can earn unlimited amounts.The agent gave you incorrect information. The special higher limit is based on the calendar year you reach FRA, not the year you turn 66.

Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! I'm definitely going to call SSA back. Do you know if they would make me pay back benefits if I accidentally exceed the limit based on incorrect information they provided? I'm worried about planning my work schedule based on wrong advice.

Unfortunately, even if you received incorrect information from an SSA agent, you'd still be responsible for any benefit reductions due to excess earnings. They would not consider the misinformation as grounds for waiving any overpayment.If you exceed the 2025 limit, they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over the limit. I'd recommend keeping detailed records of your income and calculating your projected annual earnings carefully. If necessary, limit your hours to stay under the threshold.

im in almost identical situation!!! turned 65 in april, FRA is 66+4months (sept 2026). i started benefits early at 62 and SS has been a NIGHTMARE about the earnings limit. I made $24k last year and they are now saying i owe them $$$$ back even though i SWEAR the rep told me my limit was higher!!! the whole system is broken. they change the rules whenever they want and expect us to figure it out!!

u should appeal! my cousin had this happen and appealed the overpayment and won because he proved he acted in good faith. call SS and ask about form SSA-561 and explain they gave u wrong info!

THANK YOU!! i didn't know there was a form for this. will try to call tomorrow but we all know how THAT goes... hours waiting just to get disconnected!!

If you're having trouble getting through to SSA on the phone (which is very common these days), I had success using a service called Claimyr. It holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and website claimyr.comRegarding your question - the earnings limit is absolutely tied to the calendar year you reach FRA, not when you turn 66. For 2025, you're still under the lower limit since your FRA isn't until 2026. The SSA rep gave you incorrect information.

Thanks for the Claimyr tip - I'll definitely check that out! I've been hesitant to call back because my first call took almost 2 hours of waiting. And thank you for confirming about the earnings limit - seems like the consensus is I need to stick with the lower limit for all of 2025.

My husband went through this exact situation last year!!! His FRA is 66+8mo but he's been working part-time while collecting SS. We had to pay back almost $4,800 because he earned too much. It was awful and completely wiped out our savings. Be SUPER careful and track everything monthly so you don't go over. We learned that SS will check your earnings against what your employer reports quarterly, so they'll catch any overage.

Oh wow, that's stressful! Did they take it all at once or let you pay it back gradually? I'm going to be really careful with my hours for the rest of 2025. The complication is being a 1099 contractor now - I need to make sure I'm setting enough aside for both taxes AND staying under the SS limit.

They gave us payment options, but we just wanted it over with. For 1099 work, my husband's accountant told us to calculate projected annual income based on your hourly rate × expected hours, then divide by 12 to know your monthly

can someone explain the diff between full retirement age and age 66? i thought they were the same thing

Full Retirement Age (FRA) varies based on your birth year. It used to be 65, then 66, but now it's gradually increasing:- If born 1943-1954: FRA = 66- If born 1955: FRA = 66 and 2 months- If born 1956: FRA = 66 and 4 months- If born 1957: FRA = 66 and 6 months- If born 1958: FRA = 66 and 8 months- If born 1959: FRA = 66 and 10 months- If born 1960 or later: FRA = 67So for many people now, turning 66 and reaching FRA are different events, sometimes more than a year apart.

I think everyones over complicating this. Just call your local SS office not the main number? Local offices are usually more helpfull and less wait time. Thats what I did when I had questions about going back to work after I started SS.

Good luck with that!!! Our \

Maybe its different in your area then. Mine is pretty good I guess. I got through in about 20 min last time.

One more important thing to consider - since you mentioned you're getting 1099 income as a contractor, remember that Social Security counts your NET self-employment earnings (after business expenses and deductions), not your gross income. This might help you stay under the limit if you have legitimate business expenses to deduct.Also, earnings only count when you perform the work, not when you get paid. So if you do work in December 2025 but don't get paid until January 2026, it still counts toward your 2025 earnings limit.

That's extremely helpful information! I hadn't considered the timing difference between when I do the work versus when I get paid. And I'll definitely keep track of all business expenses. Would you recommend consulting with a tax professional who specializes in Social Security issues to make sure I'm optimizing everything correctly?

Absolutely! Finding a tax professional familiar with both self-employment taxes AND Social Security rules would be very valuable in your situation. They can help structure your business expenses appropriately and ensure you're timing your income correctly. The consultation fee would likely save you much more in potential benefit reductions.

btw after u call again plz update us here on what they said. im curious if theyll admit the first guy was wrong lol

I definitely will! I'm planning to call tomorrow morning right when they open. Based on everyone's feedback, I'm pretty confident the first agent was mistaken, but I'll update with what I find out.