Need clarification on wage reporting requirements when three family members receive different Social Security benefits

Reporting requirements depend on which benefits you're receiving and whether you're subject to the earnings test. Here's the breakdown: 1. Your wife (62): Since she's under FRA (Full Retirement Age) and receiving retirement benefits, she MUST report her earnings to SSA if they'll exceed the annual earnings limit ($22,320 in 2025). This is required even though her employer reports wages to the IRS. 2. Your daughter: As a DAC beneficiary, she's subject to the earnings test until she reaches her FRA. She needs to report if her earnings will exceed the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit, which is around $1,550/month for 2025 for non-blind disabled individuals. As her representative payee, your wife is responsible for reporting this. 3. You: Since you're receiving spouse benefits with a child-in-care, you're subject to the earnings test until you reach FRA. But since you say you're fully retired, you don't have earnings to report. You can find this info in SSA Publication No. 05-10069 "How Work Affects Your Benefits." You can report wages by calling SSA, visiting an office, or through the my Social Security online portal.

in my experince SSA & IRS dont talk to each other much!! i got hit with a $4800 overpayment because i thought my employer reporting was enough. BIG MISTAKE!!!! u need to call and tell them directly or use the my social security website.

I had a similar family situation with multiple benefit types. The rule of thumb is that ANYONE receiving benefits who is under Full Retirement Age AND working needs to report their earnings directly to Social Security. The IRS reporting isn't used for real-time benefit adjustments. For your daughter specifically, since she's receiving benefits as a DAC (what used to be called CDB - Childhood Disability Benefits), she has additional reporting requirements related to her disability status. As her representative payee, your wife has the legal responsibility to report both earnings AND any changes in her condition. The documentation can be found in the Red Book (SSA's guide to employment supports) and in the Representative Payee Guide (SSA Publication No. 05-10076).

Have you tried calling the SSA to get a clear answer? I spent HOURS trying to get through last month about an overpayment issue. Finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual forever wait. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I talked to was super helpful and explained exactly what I needed to do for my specific situation.

For people under Full Retirement Age, Social Security uses an annual earnings test. In 2025 the limit is $22,320. For every $2 you earn above that limit, they deduct $1 from benefits. BUT!!! This only applies if you're under FRA. After FRA, earn as much as you want with no reduction. You mentioned your wife is 62 and works seasonally. If her total annual earnings will be under $22,320, she doesn't need to worry about having benefits reduced, but she should still report her estimate to SSA at the beginning of the year. Your daughter's situation is trickier because she's a DAC (Disabled Adult Child). She is subject to both the earnings test AND the SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity) test. If she earns over the SGA amount consistently, she could lose eligibility for disability benefits entirely. The reporting can be done: 1. Online through my Social Security account 2. By phone at 1-800-772-1213 3. In person at your local office I recommend getting everything in writing when you report!

I think people are overcomplicating this. I was my mom's representative payee for years. Here's what you actually need to do: Wife - Report estimated earnings at beginning of each year if she'll be working. Update if the estimate changes. Daughter - As DAC beneficiary, you need to report her work activity. Even if below SGA, it should be reported. Your wife is legally responsible for this as the rep payee. You - Nothing to report if not working. Use the SSA mobile app!! It's the fastest way to report wages now. They added that feature last year and its way better than calling.

Just to clarify something important about your situation: You mentioned you receive spousal benefits under the "Child-in-care" provision. Be aware that these benefits will end when your daughter turns 16 or is no longer considered disabled. However, since your daughter is 24 and already established as a DAC, your benefits should continue as long as she remains eligible for disability benefits and you remain married to your wife. This is an unusual situation because most child-in-care benefits terminate when the child reaches 16. Make sure the SSA understands your daughter is receiving DAC benefits, not regular child's benefits.

To directly answer your question about documentation, the official guidance on reporting requirements can be found in: 1. SSA Publication No. 05-10069 "How Work Affects Your Benefits" 2. SSA Publication No. 05-10076 "A Guide for Representative Payees" 3. The SSA Red Book (for disability-related work issues) For the most accurate guidance, I recommend making an appointment with a Claims Specialist at your local office. Ask specifically for someone who specializes in concurrent entitlement situations (where multiple family members receive different types of benefits on the same record). Incidentally, the fact that you're receiving child-in-care benefits at 61 with a 24-year-old disabled adult child is somewhat unusual, so you're right to seek clarification. The rules that apply to your specific case aren't the standard scenarios covered in most publications.

SS is THE WORST with these kinds of complex family situations!!! I've been dealing with them for years with my disabled son and working spouse. Got hit with a $7,000 overpayment because nobody could give me a straight answer about reporting requirements. THEN they had the nerve to tell me I should have known better!!! The system is designed to fail us. Good luck getting a straight answer even if you call.

Thank you everyone for the responses. I'm going to try the mobile app first for reporting, and then try to get an appointment with a Claims Specialist who understands concurrent entitlement situations. I'll make sure to get everything in writing and keep good records of all our reporting. Just to clarify - my spouse benefits are definitely under the child-in-care provision because of our disabled adult daughter, not regular spousal benefits (which I know I couldn't get until 62). It sounds like both my wife and daughter need to report their earnings directly to SSA, regardless of employer reporting. I appreciate all the helpful information!