SS earnings limit recalculation after FRA - how long before benefit increases?

The SSA's adjustment after FRA isn't automatic - you actually need to contact them directly to initiate the recalculation. When you reach FRA, they're supposed to adjust your benefit to account for those months when benefits were partially or fully withheld due to the earnings test. This is called the "adjustment of the reduction factor" (ARF). They essentially give you credit for those months by recalculating as if you had claimed later than 62. Call the SSA and specifically ask for this ARF recalculation. Have documentation ready showing which months had reduced payments.

my husband went thru this last yr. took FOUR MONTHS after he called them to get the increase! and they didnt do it right the first time, had to call AGAIN. make sure u have all ur w2s and stuff when you call.

The recalculation you're referring to is definitely not automatic. I went through this exact situation last year. I had to call SSA multiple times because the first representative I spoke with didn't understand what I was asking for. They kept talking about standard COLAs instead of the adjustment for months where benefits were withheld due to earnings. When I finally reached someone knowledgeable, they told me the official term is "Adjustment to the Reduction Factor" or ARF. Once I used that specific terminology, things moved forward. The process took about 2.5 months from my request until I saw the increase in my check. They also provided retroactive adjustment back to my FRA month. I've noticed calling the SSA is absolutely nightmarish lately - hours of waiting only to get disconnected. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in under 20 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me hours of frustration when I needed to handle another issue with my benefits.

Most people don't realize this recalculation doesn't happen automatically! The system is designed to penalize you for working during early retirement, but then correct itself once you reach FRA. However, the correction requires YOU to initiate it. In my experience helping clients with this, the adjustment can be significant depending on how many months you had withheld benefits. For each month your benefit was completely withheld, they essentially recalculate as if you had claimed your benefits that much later than age 62. For example, if you claimed at 62 but had 18 months of completely withheld benefits before FRA, they would recalculate as if you had started collecting at 63.5 instead of 62. This could mean a 7-10% permanent increase in your monthly benefit. Partial withholding gets more complicated in the calculation, but still works in your favor. Make sure to request the recalculation specifically and be prepared to be persistent!

THE SSA IS A MESS RIGHT NOW!!! ive been dealing with them for 3 months on a completely different issue and STILL no resolution. they lost my paperwork TWICE and every time i call its at least 2 hours on hold. when i finally got an appointment at my local office they told me something completely different than what the phone people said. i wouldn't count on this recalculation happening without you really pushing for it, and even then it will probably take MONTHS. the whole system is broken!!!

wait i'm confused. i thought the earnings limit completely goes away at FRA? i'm 61 and planning to take ss next year but will still be working.

Just to follow up on what others have said - the adjustment won't happen automatically. When I went through this process, I learned that SSA refers to this as the ARF (Adjustment of Reduction Factor). Here's what worked for me: 1. Gather documentation of all months where benefits were reduced or withheld due to earnings 2. Call SSA and specifically ask for the ARF recalculation (use those exact words) 3. If the representative seems confused, ask to speak with a technical expert 4. Follow up in writing through your my Social Security account In my case, the adjustment took about 3 months to process and resulted in an increase of about $180 per month, plus they provided back payments to my FRA date. This was based on approximately 14 months of fully withheld benefits over a 4-year period. Remember, SSA is severely understaffed right now, so patience and persistence are key.

i'm in this exact situation right now! hit my FRA in october and still waiting. from what i've been reading on ssa.gov they're supposed to do this automatically, but i finally broke down and called last week. the agent said it takes 6-8 months for these recalculations! wish i would have called sooner.