Can I work after starting Social Security at Full Retirement Age (66 & 8 months) without earnings limits?

Good news! Once you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), which in your case is 66 and 8 months, there is NO earnings limit. You can earn as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefits. The earnings limit only applies to people who take benefits before reaching their FRA. After FRA, you can work and earn any amount while receiving your full SS retirement benefit. Just be aware that your benefits might still be subject to income tax depending on your combined income.

My sister told me theres ALWAYS a limit no matter what age but she might be wrong??? I started at 63 and they took away some of my benifits when I worked at Walmart part time so be careful!!!

I went through the exact same question last year! After reaching my full retirement age (mine was 66 and 6 months), I continued my job as an accountant making around $70,000 and still received every penny of my Social Security. Not a single reduction. The only thing to worry about is that up to 85% of your benefits might be taxable if your combined income is high enough. But that's just regular income tax, not a benefit reduction.

U still have to report ur earnings to the SSA tho, dont forget that part. They need to know how much ur making even if they dont take anything away.

The system is RIGGED to confuse people! When I reached my full retirement age, I thought I was in the clear to work, but then got hit with higher Medicare premiums because of my income. They call it IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). Nobody warned me about that! So while your SS benefits won't be reduced if you work after FRA, you might end up paying more for Medicare Part B and D if your income goes above certain thresholds. The government always finds a way to take more!

I spent 3 WEEKS trying to get someone at Social Security on the phone to ask this exact question last year! After being disconnected multiple times and waiting on hold for hours, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed there's absolutely no earnings limit after you reach your full retirement age. Best $20 I ever spent instead of wasting days trying to get through.

Everyone's giving you the right info about no earnings limit after FRA, but don't forget that continuing to work might actually INCREASE your Social Security benefit over time. If your current earnings are higher than some of the earlier years used in your benefit calculation, the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit each year and adjust upward if warranted. So working after FRA can be a double win - full benefits now plus potentially higher benefits later.

my brother in law started his SS at 67 and kept working part time as a consulant making good $$$. he says its the best of both worlds. no probs with SS at all.

To answer your follow-up question about taxation of benefits: Social Security benefits become taxable when your "combined income" exceeds certain thresholds. Combined income is your adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits. For 2025, taxation starts when this combined income exceeds $25,000 (single) or $32,000 (married filing jointly). At that point, up to 50% of benefits may be taxable. When combined income exceeds $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (married), up to 85% of benefits may be taxable. With your $35,000 consulting income plus benefits, you'll likely have some portion of your benefits subject to income tax. I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional for your specific situation.

Just want to add one more important point that might help with your planning - while there's no earnings limit after FRA, your Social Security benefits are still subject to federal income tax withholding if you request it. You can have 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% of your monthly benefit withheld for taxes by completing Form W-4V. This can be helpful if you're working and receiving benefits, since you might end up in a higher tax bracket and could avoid owing money at tax time. Many people don't realize this option exists and then get surprised by their tax bill. Given that you're planning to earn $35K from consulting plus your SS benefits, it might be worth considering voluntary withholding to avoid any surprises come tax season.

I just wanted to share my personal experience to reinforce what others have said here. I reached my FRA of 66 and 10 months last September and was nervous about the same thing. I decided to take a part-time teaching position that pays about $28,000 annually while collecting my full Social Security benefits. I've been doing this for 6 months now and haven't had a single dollar reduced from my SS payments. The peace of mind is incredible! One tip I'd add - I set up my Social Security account online at ssa.gov so I can easily monitor my payments and make sure everything stays on track. It's really reassuring to see those monthly deposits coming in like clockwork regardless of my work income. Your $35,000 consulting income shouldn't be a problem at all once you hit your FRA!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone approaching my FRA in a few months, I was also worried about the earnings limit. Reading all these real experiences from people who are successfully working while collecting full SS benefits gives me so much confidence. One question I haven't seen addressed - does the type of work matter? I'm considering doing some freelance graphic design work, which would be 1099 income rather than W-2. Does Social Security treat self-employment income any differently after FRA, or is it still the same "no earnings limit" rule regardless of how you earn the money?

I've been following this conversation and it's been so educational! I'm in a similar situation but with a twist - I'm 65 and considering waiting until my FRA of 67 to start benefits while continuing to work. I know there's no earnings limit after FRA, but what about the period between now and when I reach 67? I'm making about $60,000 annually and wondering if I should just wait to file, or if there's any advantage to filing now and dealing with the earnings test. Has anyone here navigated that decision? The delayed retirement credits seem appealing but I'm not sure if it's worth waiting when I could be collecting something now.

I'm 64 and was just having this exact conversation with my financial advisor last week! What really helped me understand the rules was learning that there are actually TWO different earnings tests - one for people who haven't reached FRA yet (like me), and then NO test at all once you hit your FRA. The confusion often comes from people mixing up these different phases. For anyone still working before their FRA, the 2025 earnings limit is $23,400 - you can earn up to that amount without any benefit reduction. But once you hit your exact FRA (66 and 8 months in your case), that limit disappears completely and forever. I'm planning to keep working my $45K job right through my FRA and beyond, and it's so reassuring to see all the real experiences shared here. The peace of mind knowing that after FRA you can earn ANY amount while keeping full benefits is huge for those of us who want to stay active in our careers!

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 65 and planning to file at my FRA of 66 and 10 months. I've been hesitant to make any concrete plans because I kept getting mixed messages about working while collecting benefits. Reading all these real-world experiences from people who are successfully working after FRA without any benefit reductions has given me the confidence I needed. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's experience has been - once you hit that exact FRA date, the earnings limit just disappears completely. I'm planning to continue my part-time accounting practice which brings in about $40,000 annually, and now I feel much more confident about moving forward with filing at FRA. Thanks to everyone who shared their personal experiences - it makes such a difference to hear from people who are actually living this situation rather than just reading the official government websites that can be so confusing!

This has been such an informative discussion! I'm 63 and have been wrestling with whether to file now or wait until my FRA of 67. Reading everyone's experiences has really clarified the key distinction - there are essentially two different worlds when it comes to Social Security and work. Before FRA, you're dealing with earnings limits and potential benefit reductions. After FRA, you have complete freedom to earn any amount while receiving full benefits. What strikes me most is how consistently positive everyone's post-FRA experiences have been. Not a single person reported having benefits reduced after reaching their exact FRA date, regardless of their work income level. For those of us still a few years away from FRA, it's encouraging to know that there's this clear finish line where the earnings restrictions completely disappear. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - it's so much more valuable than trying to decode the SSA website!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm 64 and was completely confused about the Social Security rules around working after filing for benefits. What really stands out to me is how clear and consistent everyone's real-world experiences have been - once you reach your Full Retirement Age, there truly is NO earnings limit whatsoever. The distinction between the "before FRA" rules (with earnings limits) and "after FRA" rules (no limits at all) is so important and wasn't clear to me from the SSA website. I'm planning to file at my FRA of 66 and 6 months next year while continuing my consulting work that brings in around $45,000 annually. Reading about people like Yara making $70,000, Danielle teaching for $28,000, and others working various amounts while receiving their full benefits gives me complete confidence in my plan. Thank you all for sharing your personal experiences - it's exactly what someone in my situation needed to hear!

Welcome to the community! I'm also approaching my FRA (66 and 8 months) and was dealing with the same confusion about earnings limits. This thread has been incredibly enlightening! What really strikes me is how unanimous everyone's experience has been - not a single person reported any benefit reductions after reaching their exact FRA, regardless of their work income level. The consistency is remarkable and gives me complete confidence in planning to continue my part-time work after filing. I think the key takeaway for anyone reading this is that there's essentially a bright line at your FRA date - before that date, you're subject to earnings limits, but the moment you reach your exact FRA, those limits vanish completely and permanently. It's like flipping a switch from restricted to unrestricted. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more valuable than trying to navigate the confusing government websites alone!