Can I work without limits after converting from SSDI to retirement benefits at full retirement age?

Good news for your brother! Once a person reaches their Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is 66 and X months depending on birth year, there are NO earning limits whatsoever. He can earn as much as he wants without any reduction to his Social Security retirement benefits. The automatic conversion from SSDI to retirement happens at FRA, so at 67, he's definitely on regular retirement benefits now. He should still report the work activity to SSA as a formality, but there will be no impact on his benefits regardless of how much he earns.

I had a similar situation and learned the hard way to STILL REPORT EVERYTHING! Just because there's no earnings limit doesn't mean they don't want to know what you're doing. Your brother should call and tell them he's planning to return to work, even though it won't affect his payment amount. Better safe than sorry with these people.

The previous responders are correct about no earnings limits after Full Retirement Age, but I want to clarify a few points: 1. The conversion from SSDI to retirement benefits is automatic and seamless - the benefit amount stays exactly the same 2. While there's no earnings limit, he should report work activity to SSA for their records 3. If he's on Medicare due to his disability, that continues unchanged 4. He may want to check about any potential tax implications since more income might make a higher percentage of his Social Security benefits taxable This is actually one of the rare straightforward situations with Social Security!

I've been trying to reach someone at SSA for THREE WEEKS about almost this exact same issue!!! Keep getting disconnected or waiting for hours. This is ridiculous. I'm 68 and switched from disability to regular social security last year, and now I'm trying to start a small online business, but no one will answer my questions about how it impacts my Medicare and if there's any forms I need to file first.

does anyone know if theres a difference with SSI? my mom is on SSI not SSDI and she wants to do some babysitting for cash. shes 68 now

When I aged out of disability into retirement benefits, I found that not only could I work without limits, but my Medicare continued exactly the same. The only thing your brother needs to be aware of is potential tax implications if he makes a substantial amount of money. Depending on his combined income (including half of Social Security plus any other income), up to 85% of his Social Security benefits could become taxable. But that's only if he does quite well financially, which would be a good problem to have!

btw you mentioned he cant get thru to SSA on the phone - tell him to try calling RIGHT when they open at 8am local time. thats the only way i can ever get through without waiting 2+ hours

my cousin started getting disability checks when he was 52 and now hes 67 and getting regular social security. he works at walmart like 30 hours a week and nobody said nothing to him about it. he says he makes more now than he ever did before lol

one more thing nobody mentioned - if hes been on SSDI for 12 years, he might be scared about losing his Medicare. tell him not to worry! Medicare continues exactly the same after converting to retirement benefits.

To summarize for your brother: 1. At age 67, he's definitely reached his Full Retirement Age and converted automatically from SSDI to retirement benefits 2. He can earn unlimited income without any reduction in his Social Security benefits 3. He should still report his work activity to SSA as a courtesy and for their records 4. His Medicare coverage continues unchanged 5. The only potential impact is on taxation of his benefits if his combined income exceeds certain thresholds This is one of those rare situations where the news is all good! I'm glad he's feeling well enough to try working again.

Just wanted to add from personal experience - when your brother does notify SSA about returning to work, he can also do it online through his my Social Security account at ssa.gov if he has one set up. It's much easier than trying to get through on the phone! He can report work activity under the "Message Center" section. I did this when I started working after my own conversion from SSDI to retirement benefits, and it was really straightforward. Plus you get confirmation that they received your report, which gives peace of mind.

I went through this exact transition about 8 months ago when I turned 67! Your brother is absolutely right to be cautious, but the good news is that once you hit full retirement age, you really can work without any earnings restrictions. I was nervous too because I'd been on SSDI for 15 years after a workplace injury, but SSA confirmed that the conversion is automatic and seamless. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is that your brother might want to start slowly - maybe just a few hours a week at first. Not because of SSA rules (there aren't any at his age), but just to see how his body handles it after being out of the workforce for so long. The hardware store work could be physically demanding depending on what he's doing. Also, if he does well with the part-time work and decides to increase his hours later, he might want to consider the impact on his taxes since Social Security + wages could push him into a higher tax bracket. But honestly, that's a good problem to have! Best of luck to your brother - it's really encouraging to hear about someone feeling well enough to return to work after so many years.

This is such great news for your brother! I want to emphasize something that might give him even more confidence - the SSA actually WANTS people to try returning to work when they're able. That's why they make the transition so seamless at full retirement age. I'd also suggest he keep records of his work start date and earnings just for his own peace of mind. While there are no restrictions at his age, having documentation is always smart when dealing with any government benefits. It sounds like he's being really responsible by wanting to check everything out first. The fact that he's feeling well enough to consider working after 12 years is wonderful! Many people in his situation are afraid to even try because they think they'll lose everything, but at 67, he really has nothing to worry about benefit-wise.

Welcome to the community! I'm new here too and this thread has been incredibly educational. As someone who's just starting to learn about Social Security benefits, it's amazing to see how knowledgeable and supportive everyone is. For Maggie's brother - it sounds like he's in a really good position! From everything I've read here, it seems like the key points are: no earnings limits at 67, Medicare continues, just report the work activity to SSA for their records, and maybe consider the tax implications if he does really well. It's so encouraging to hear about someone feeling well enough to return to work after such a long time on disability. The fact that the system actually supports this transition rather than penalizing it gives me hope that these programs really do work the way they're supposed to. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and knowledge!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and knowledgeable everyone has been in this thread! Reading through all the responses has really educated me about how Social Security works at full retirement age. For your brother, it sounds like he's in an ideal situation - no earnings limits at 67, Medicare continues unchanged, and the SSA actually supports people returning to work when they're able. The advice about reporting his work activity online through his my Social Security account seems like the easiest approach to avoid those frustrating phone waits. I really appreciate how this community comes together to help people navigate these complex benefits. It's encouraging to see someone feeling well enough to consider returning to work after so many years, and it's wonderful that the system is designed to support that transition rather than penalize it. Best wishes to your brother as he explores this new opportunity!