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.

I went through this exact same process about 18 months ago. Like others have mentioned, you absolutely need to call SSA yourself - it's not automatic despite what their website might suggest. When I called, I specifically asked for the "Adjustment of Reduction Factor" (ARF) recalculation and had to be transferred to a technical specialist. The key is having your documentation ready. I created a simple timeline showing each month where my benefits were reduced or withheld, along with my W-2s from those years. This made the process much smoother. In my case, I had about 20 months of partial or full benefit withholding over 4 years, and my monthly benefit increased by about $195 after the recalculation. They also provided back payments to my FRA date, though it took nearly 4 months to process everything. One tip: if you get disconnected or the representative seems confused about ARF, hang up and call back. Not all SSA staff are familiar with this process, and you want someone who knows exactly what you're talking about. Be persistent - this adjustment can make a significant difference in your monthly income for the rest of your life.

I'm going through a similar situation right now - hit my FRA in December but haven't seen any adjustment yet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea I needed to proactively contact SSA myself. Based on what everyone is sharing, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Gather all documentation showing months with reduced/withheld benefits 2. Call and specifically ask for "Adjustment of Reduction Factor" (ARF) recalculation 3. Be prepared to ask for a technical specialist if the first rep doesn't understand 4. Follow up in writing through my Social Security account 5. Be patient but persistent - seems like 2-4 months processing time is typical I had about 15 months of partial withholding over 3 years due to part-time work, so I'm hoping for a decent increase. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been more helpful than anything I could find on the SSA website!

I went through this exact process about 2 years ago and can confirm what others are saying - you absolutely must call SSA yourself to initiate the ARF (Adjustment of Reduction Factor) recalculation. It's definitely not automatic despite what some SSA materials suggest. Here's what worked for me: I called the main SSA number and when I got through, I immediately said "I need to request an Adjustment of Reduction Factor recalculation because I've reached my Full Retirement Age." Using that specific terminology seemed to help the representative understand exactly what I needed. I had about 22 months of partial or full benefit withholding over 5 years of early retirement while working part-time. My monthly benefit increased by $178 after the recalculation, and they provided retroactive payments back to my FRA date. The whole process took about 3.5 months from my initial call. One thing I learned - keep detailed records of every call you make, including the representative's name, date, and what they tell you. I had to call twice because the first person I spoke with seemed confused about the process. The second representative was much more knowledgeable and got everything moving quickly. Don't wait any longer - the sooner you call, the sooner you'll start receiving your proper benefit amount!

I just went through this process last year and want to emphasize something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - when you call SSA, make sure to ask them to send you a written confirmation of your ARF request. I learned this the hard way when my first request seemed to disappear into the system after 3 months of waiting. The second time I called, I specifically asked for written documentation that my ARF recalculation was in process, including a case number and expected timeframe. This made a huge difference when I had to follow up later. I received my written confirmation within 2 weeks, and my benefit adjustment came through about 6 weeks after that. Also, for those wondering about timing - I had 16 months of withheld benefits over 4 years, and my monthly payment increased by $165. The retroactive payment back to my FRA date was substantial too. Don't let SSA's current staffing issues discourage you from pursuing this - it's money you're legitimately entitled to receive.

I'm currently in a very similar situation - reached my FRA in January but haven't seen any benefit adjustment yet. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I realize I need to be proactive about requesting the ARF recalculation rather than waiting for SSA to do it automatically. I had about 14 months of reduced benefits over 3 years due to part-time work earnings, so I'm hoping for a meaningful increase. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm going to: 1. Gather all my documentation showing which months had reduced/withheld benefits 2. Call SSA and specifically ask for "Adjustment of Reduction Factor" recalculation 3. Request written confirmation with a case number 4. Be prepared to ask for a technical specialist if needed It's really helpful to see the actual dollar amounts people have received - the $165-$195 monthly increases mentioned here would make a significant difference for me. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines. This thread has been more informative than anything I could find on the official SSA website! For those still waiting like me, it sounds like persistence and using the right terminology are key. I'll report back once I get through the process.