Can my husband exceed SS earnings limit of $1,860 if pay period crosses months? Returning to work before FRA

Social Security counts earnings when they are EARNED, not when they are paid. This is really important to understand. Your husband should keep detailed records of exactly which days he worked and how many hours were worked each calendar month. The SSA will look at when the work was performed, not when the paycheck arrived. So in your example, if he earned $2,100 in November and $2,100 in December, he's under the monthly limit for both months, even though the payment comes as one $4,200 check. That said, the earnings test is normally calculated annually, not monthly, EXCEPT for the first year of retirement. So your husband needs to be especially careful for the rest of 2024. For documentation, he should save: 1. His electronic timecard printouts showing work dates 2. Pay stubs showing the pay periods 3. Any communication with his employer about his schedule This can help if SSA questions the earnings distribution later.

i went thru this last yr with my part time job. they count it when u earn it not when u get paid. BUT make sure ur husband tells SS hes working again!!! they made me pay back $$ because i didnt tell them quick enough when i started working again. also if he makes too much for the whole year they will want some benefits back not just for the months he went over.

Since your husband is receiving benefits before his Full Retirement Age (FRA), he's subject to the earnings test, which in 2024 limits him to $22,320 annually, or about $1,860 monthly. But there's a key distinction here that others haven't mentioned. The monthly earnings test only applies during the first year of retirement. So for 2024, since he just started benefits, SSA will check if he exceeded $1,860 in any individual month. But starting in 2025, they'll only care about his total annual earnings of $22,320 (though this limit typically increases slightly each year with COLA). For the pay period issue: SSA follows when the work was PERFORMED, not paid. His employer should be able to provide documentation showing exactly which hours were worked in which calendar months. Many payroll systems can generate reports showing this breakdown. One more thing: If he exceeds the limit, SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 he earns above the limit. They don't just cut off benefits completely.

This happened with my brother last year. It's when the work is performed that matters, not when paid. But heres a HUGE warning - make sure your husband tells SSA about returning to work because they found out about my brother's job from payroll taxes and that triggered a whole investigation. Better to tell them upfront!!

I had ENDLESS PROBLEMS with this exact issue when I went back to work part-time at age 64. The SSA claimed I exceeded the monthly earnings limit because they looked at my pay dates instead of when I actually did the work. It took MONTHS to fix and multiple calls to the SSA that went nowhere. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real SSA agent in 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. I showed the agent my timesheets proving when I actually worked each month vs. when I got paid, and they finally fixed it. Check out their demo video here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Make sure your husband keeps DETAILED records of exactly which days he worked. The electronic timecard system is perfect for this because it timestamps everything. Have him save PDF copies of EVERYTHING.

They go by when he EARNS the money not when he gets paid!!! My husband and I went through this same thing. Believe me, keep good records! Also remember the limit goes up when he reaches full retirement age and then goes away completely.

The earnings limit is SUCH A HEADACHE! My advice? Have your husband tell his boss he needs to be paid MONTHLY, with the pay periods matching calendar months. That would solve everything. Not sure why companies can't figure this out when so many older workers have this exact problem with Social Security!

Since several people mentioned reporting: Your husband should call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report his return to work. Alternatively, he can report estimated earnings online through his my Social Security account or in person at a local office. For calculating his earnings during his first year of retirement, SSA uses the "Grace Year" rule. This means they'll look at his monthly earnings for the remainder of 2024. For each month he earns under the limit ($1,860), he'll receive his full benefit regardless of annual totals. Starting in 2025, SSA will switch to annual accounting. They'll estimate his expected earnings for the year and may adjust his benefits accordingly. If the estimate changes, he should update SSA to avoid overpayments. Keeping detailed records is absolutely critical - especially the breakdown of exactly which days' work falls into which calendar month.