Social Security benefit recalculation after 70 - higher earnings after starting SS benefits?

Ur dad should definitely be getting more SS$$ with those earnings! My aunt had same thing happen, she kept working as nurse after she started getting SS at 65. They NEVER automatically increased her benefit even tho she was making good money. She had to call them and DEMAND a recalculation after like 5 yrs. Got a decent bump and backpay too!!! Tell him to call the 800 number ASAP!!!

Yes, the SSA will automatically recalculate benefits annually, but there are some important details to understand: 1. The recalculation typically happens in the year following the year you worked (usually October) 2. For the recalculation to increase benefits, the new earnings must be high enough to replace one of the 35 highest years used in the original calculation 3. Once you're past FRA, there's no earnings limit penalty, but the benefit increase from additional work might be relatively small depending on his earnings history 4. The automatic recalculation is called an Automatic Earnings Reappraisal Operation (AERO) If your father believes he hasn't received proper recalculations, he should request a benefits review by contacting the SSA. Bring his recent tax returns showing his higher earnings.

hmm i think it depends. what was your dads work history like before 65? if he already had 35 years of good earnings, then the new earnings might not change much. the SS calc uses your highest 35 years indexed for inflation. so a decent year now might not actually replace anything in his top 35.

I worked until 82 (just retired last year) and my SS went up several times since I started collecting at 65. I never had to do anything, it just happened. Got a letter in the mail each time. But my neighbor had to call and request it. So maybe it depends on your local SS office?

The system should be automatically recalculating, but I've seen many cases where this doesn't happen correctly. The AERO system (Automatic Earnings Reappraisal Operation) should run annually, but it can miss legitimate increases. Your father should definitely contact SSA and request a manual recalculation given his significantly higher earnings. Make sure he specifies that he wants a "benefits recalculation based on post-entitlement earnings" - using those exact words helps ensure the representative understands what he's requesting. If he's been earning substantially more for 12+ years, and some of those earnings would replace lower-earning years in his original calculation, he could be due a meaningful increase and possibly retroactive payments.

I've been trying to reach SSA about a similar situation for WEEKS! Every time I call that 800 number, I wait 45+ minutes and then get disconnected. Tried going to the local office but they're appointment only and next available is in 2 MONTHS. The whole system is designed to prevent you from getting what you're owed! I just want to know if my higher earnings years are being counted!

To address your follow-up question about retroactive adjustments: SSA can go back and adjust benefits for all years where recalculations should have occurred. There's no statutory time limit for these benefit corrections when they're due to the SSA's failure to properly calculate benefits. However, as a practical matter, they typically look back at the most recent 3-4 years without much pushback. Going back further often requires additional advocacy and documentation. If your father has been earning significantly more for many years, he should request a complete earnings record review since he began receiving benefits. Be prepared with tax returns or W-2s for those years to verify his earnings history.

My dad had almost this EXACT situation! He worked till 83 (passed last year) but was getting same SS payment from when he started at 65. We finally got someone at SSA to help and turns out he was owed over $9000 in back increases! Make sure your dad pushes for back pay if they find an error!

It's worth noting that any benefit increase from post-retirement earnings will likely be modest. This is because: 1. Only earnings that replace lower years in the top 35 will impact the calculation 2. The benefit formula gives less weight to higher earnings 3. Post-FRA recalculations don't include delayed retirement credits For example, if your father's recent $130K earnings replace a year where he earned $50K (after indexing), this might only increase his monthly benefit by $20-40. The exact amount depends on his complete earnings history. That said, even small increases add up over time, and if he's been missing these adjustments for years, the back pay could be substantial. Definitely worth pursuing.