Social Security Survivors benefits over income limit at 63 - penalties before FRA?

There's no time restriction on how long you can exceed the earnings limit. SSA will continue to calculate the reduction each year until you reach FRA. For survivors benefits, they withhold $1 for every $2 you earn above the annual limit. They don't make you "pay back" benefits - they just withhold future payments until they've recovered the amount. If your new job pushes you significantly over the limit, you might not receive any monthly payments for a while. No other penalties to worry about. Your own retirement benefit calculation will not be affected by this - in fact, these additional earning years might increase your own retirement benefit if they're higher than previous years in your earnings record.

my cousin went thru this exact thing!! she was on survivors and took a job that put her WAY over the limit. SSA just stopped her checks completely for like 8 months then started again when she cut back hours. no big deal, they dont kick u off permanently

Just to add some clarity here - what you're dealing with is the Retirement Earnings Test (RET) which applies to both retirement and survivors benefits before FRA. I went through exactly this with my wife's survivors benefits. The key things to understand: 1. There is absolutely NO TIME LIMIT on how long you can exceed the earnings limit 2. SSA recalculates this annually based on your projected earnings 3. If you're significantly over the limit, they'll suspend benefits entirely until the amount is recovered 4. Once you reach FRA, the earnings test disappears completely One thing to watch - make sure you notify SSA of your expected earnings change BEFORE it happens. If you don't, and they discover it later (usually through tax records), they'll hit you with an overpayment notice that can be a headache to deal with. Also, keep tracking your earnings throughout the year. If your income ends up being less than you projected, contact SSA to have your benefits adjusted.

What the others said is correct - there's no time limit for exceeding the earnings limit. The SSA just does the calculation each year until you reach Full Retirement Age. One thing that hasn't been mentioned: this might actually be beneficial for you long-term. If you're planning to switch to your own retirement benefit at FRA (assuming it's higher than your survivors benefit), these additional high-earning years will likely increase your own retirement benefit amount. Also, keep in mind that the annual exempt amount increases each year with inflation. For 2025 it's around $23,400 as you mentioned, but it will be higher in 2026, 2027, etc.

Has anyone here had success actually REACHING someone at Social Security to discuss this kind of situation? I'm in a similar boat (60, survivors benefits, job opportunity) and I've called 47 TIMES over 3 weeks trying to get specific answers about my situation. Either busy signals or 2+ hour waits that disconnect me! I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me finally get through to SSA. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration! There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally spoke with the SSA rep, they confirmed everything others have said here - no time limit on exceeding the earnings test, just a calculation they do each year until FRA.

When I was receiving survivors benefits, I went over the earnings limit for FIVE YEARS before reaching FRA. They just reduced my benefit each year based on my estimated earnings. Just make sure to report your expected earnings at the beginning of each year. If you don't, you'll get hit with an overpayment notice when they process your W-2 or tax return. One warning tho - if ur benefits are completely withheld, make sure you still stay enrolled in Medicare when you become eligible at 65 (if applicable). Some people mistakenly think they need to wait until they're actually receiving SS checks again.

One more important point: Even if your benefits are completely suspended due to earnings, you're still ENTITLED to those benefits. This becomes important if something happens to change your situation. For example, if you stop working or reduce hours later (before FRA), you can notify SSA and your benefits would be reinstated based on the new earnings estimate. Also, keep in mind that only wages and self-employment income count toward the earnings test. Investment income, pension payments, government benefits, interest, and dividends don't count against you.

Im so CONFUSED by all this!!! Doesnt taking a job that pays more than the limit mean your NOT RETIRED?? Why should anyone get SS if there still working and making good money? The whole system makes no sense!