Can I work full-time while collecting Social Security survivor benefits without reduction?
My husband passed away 3 months ago and I'm trying to figure out my financial situation. I'm 62 and just applied for survivor benefits through Social Security. My financial advisor mentioned I could still work while receiving these benefits, but I'm confused about the rules. Can I keep my full-time job (earning about $72,000/year) while collecting survivor benefits? Is there an earnings limit that applies specifically to survivor benefits? I've heard different things about retirement vs. survivor benefits having different rules. Does my age affect how much I can earn without penalties? Any help understanding this would be greatly appreciated as I'm trying to plan my budget for next year.
17 comments
Join the conversation
Caden Nguyen
Yes, you can work while receiving survivor benefits, but there ARE earnings limits if you're under your Full Retirement Age (FRA). For 2025, if you're under FRA the entire year, SSA will deduct $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above $23,400. Since you're earning $72,000, you would have a substantial reduction in benefits. However, the rules change in the year you reach FRA. During that year, SSA deducts $1 for every $3 you earn above $62,600 (for 2025), but only counting earnings before the month you reach FRA. Once you reach your FRA (probably 67 depending on birth year), there are NO earnings limits. You can earn any amount without reduction to your survivor benefits.
0 coins
Harper Hill
•Thank you for explaining this. I won't reach my FRA for another 5 years. So at my current salary, would my survivor benefits be completely eliminated due to the earnings limit, or would I still receive some portion? Should I consider reducing my work hours?
0 coins
Avery Flores
sorry for your loss... my sister went thru this last year. she ended up just working part time til she hit the full retirement age thing. the SSA office told her exactly how much she could make b4 it would cut her benefits
0 coins
Harper Hill
•I appreciate that. Part-time might be an option, though I'd prefer to keep my health insurance through my employer. Did your sister have any issues with reporting her earnings to SSA?
0 coins
Zoe Gonzalez
The earnings limit is going to significantly impact your benefits. With $72,000 income, you'll be about $48,600 over the 2025 limit of $23,400. That means they'll withhold approximately $24,300 from your annual survivor benefits ($1 for every $2 over). Depending on what your monthly survivor benefit amount is, this could mean you receive very little or potentially nothing until you reach your full retirement age. One important thing to understand: benefits withheld aren't lost forever. Once you reach FRA, your monthly benefit will be recalculated to give you credit for months when benefits were withheld. I'd suggest scheduling an appointment with your local SSA office to calculate exactly how this will affect your specific situation. They can give you precise numbers based on your husband's earnings record and your current income.
0 coins
Ashley Adams
•This happened to my mom and the SSA offices are IMPOSSIBLE to get through to right now!!! She tried for WEEKS to get an appointment. Completely ridiculous system.
0 coins
Alexis Robinson
•I was having the same problem getting through to SSA to discuss my survivor benefits. After dozens of calls and hours on hold, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in less than 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was so worth it to finally get my questions answered about the earnings test for survivor benefits. My situation was complicated and I needed to speak with someone who could see my specific case details.
0 coins
Aaron Lee
SURVIVOR BENEFITS ARE DIFFERENT THAN RETIREMENT!!! So many people get this wrong. Yes, there's still an earnings limit before FRA, BUT you have additional options with survivor benefits that you don't with retirement: 1. You can switch between survivor and your OWN retirement benefits. Many widow(er)s take reduced survivor at 60-FRA, then switch to their own retirement at 70 (if it's higher). 2. Or do the opposite - take your reduced retirement early and then switch to unreduced survivor at your FRA. The BEST strategy depends on benefit amounts and life expectancy. Don't just accept the first option SSA tells you!!
0 coins
Harper Hill
•This is really helpful! I didn't realize I could switch between benefit types. My own retirement benefit would probably be higher if I wait until 70 to claim it. So theoretically, I could take reduced survivor benefits now (understanding they'll be further reduced by the earnings test), then switch to my own retirement at 70?
0 coins
Chloe Mitchell
Just wanted to add that if you're going to continue working full-time with that income level, you might want to consider waiting to claim survivor benefits until you reach your FRA. At that point, there's no earnings limit, and you'll receive 100% of your husband's benefit amount. Alternatively, if your own retirement benefit would be higher at age 70 than your survivor benefit, you could follow a strategy of: 1. Wait until your FRA to claim unreduced survivor benefits (no earnings test then) 2. Switch to your own retirement benefit at age 70 when it reaches its maximum amount This approach would give you both the full survivor benefit during your FRA-70 period and the maximum possible retirement benefit after 70.
0 coins
Avery Flores
•But if she waits till FRA doesn't she loose all those years of payments??? Seems like leaving money on the table to me
0 coins
Chloe Mitchell
•It's not necessarily leaving money on the table. If she claims now while earning $72,000, most of her survivor benefits will be withheld due to the earnings test. She might only receive a small fraction of the benefit until reaching FRA anyway. By waiting until FRA to claim, she gets the full survivor benefit amount with no reductions for early claiming or earnings. Yes, she'd miss the small amount she might receive now after the earnings test reductions, but she'd get larger payments later. It's a personal decision that depends on immediate financial needs versus maximizing long-term benefits.
0 coins
Harper Hill
Thank you all for the incredibly helpful information! Based on your advice, I'm considering two options: 1. Continue working full-time but delay claiming survivor benefits until I reach my FRA (no earnings limit then) 2. Claim survivor benefits now understanding most will be withheld due to my earnings, then switch to my own retirement benefit at 70 I'm going to try to get an appointment with SSA to run calculations for both scenarios. Since it sounds difficult to reach them by phone, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. One last question - if I do claim now and have benefits withheld due to earnings, will I get those withheld benefits back later in some form?
0 coins
Zoe Gonzalez
•Yes, you do get credit for withheld benefits once you reach FRA. The SSA recalculates your benefit amount and increases your monthly payment to account for months when benefits were completely withheld. However, this recalculation only helps if you had FULL months of benefits withheld. If you received even $1 in benefits for a month, that month doesn't count toward the recalculation. Also, this recalculation only applies to retirement benefits that were withheld due to earnings, not survivor benefits. With survivor benefits, amounts withheld due to the earnings test are simply gone - you don't get them back later in higher payments. This is why your strategy decision is so important, and why getting accurate information from SSA for your specific situation is crucial.
0 coins
Harper Hill
•Thank you for that critical clarification! I had no idea that survivor benefits withheld due to earnings aren't recalculated later like retirement benefits. That definitely changes my thinking - seems like waiting until FRA might make more sense in my case since I plan to continue working full-time. I'll confirm all this with SSA when I speak with them.
0 coins
Ashley Adams
My mom was told one thing by SSA and then they did something completely different!!!! Double check everything they tell you and GET IT IN WRITING!!! They told her she could work part-time and still get survivor benefits but then they took almost everything away and it was a NIGHTMARE to fix!!!
0 coins
Aaron Lee
•This is why it's CRUCIAL to understand the rules yourself. The earnings limit is strictly enforced - it's not subjective. For every $2 earned above the annual limit, $1 is deducted from benefits. Period. The CONFUSION happens because some SSA reps don't clearly explain that this calculation happens throughout the year as earnings are reported by employers. So someone might think they can work and receive benefits, only to have benefits reduced or stopped when SSA processes their earnings reports. ALWAYS keep documentation of your communications with SSA and check your mySocialSecurity account regularly!
0 coins