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!

Thank you everyone for all this detailed information! This has been incredibly helpful. Just to make sure I understand correctly - I can take this job opportunity and potentially have my survivors benefits completely suspended for the next 4 years until I reach FRA at 67, and then at FRA: 1. The earnings test disappears completely (no more limits) 2. I can switch to my own retirement benefit if it's higher 3. Those higher earning years might actually boost my own retirement calculation And there's absolutely no risk of permanent disqualification or "striking out" after too many years over the limit? One follow-up question - when I do switch to my own retirement benefit at FRA, will SSA automatically calculate which is higher (my survivors benefit vs my own), or do I need to specifically request the comparison? This job opportunity could be life-changing for me, and it sounds like the temporary loss of survivors benefits might actually work out better long-term. Thanks again to this amazing community!

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - there's absolutely no time limit or permanent disqualification for exceeding the earnings test! I'm actually a former SSA employee and can confirm that the agency processes thousands of cases each year where people exceed the limit for multiple consecutive years. The system is designed to be flexible because Congress recognized that retirement isn't always a hard stop at a certain age. Many people need to continue working or want to pursue new opportunities. A few additional points that might help: - When your benefits resume (either because you reduce earnings or reach FRA), there's no "penalty period" or waiting time - SSA keeps track of all the months they withheld benefits, so you won't lose credit for anything - If you end up earning less than you initially projected, you can contact SSA mid-year to adjust and potentially get benefits reinstated sooner Take that job opportunity! The fact that you're thinking this through so carefully shows you'll handle the transition well. The temporary benefit suspension is just that - temporary. Your long-term financial security (both from the higher earnings and potential boost to your own retirement benefit) is what really matters here.