Social Security benefit reduction notice after FRA - still working part-time but thought earnings limit didn't apply?

Something's definitely wrong here. Once you reach your Full Retirement Age, the earnings test no longer applies - period. It doesn't matter how much you earn from working, your Social Security retirement benefits should NOT be reduced. The only things that should affect your benefit after FRA are annual COLAs (cost-of-living adjustments) and possibly IRMAA (higher Medicare premiums if your income is above certain thresholds). The notice might actually be about something else. Could it be about Medicare premiums being higher due to your income? Or possibly they're reviewing your earnings record from before you reached FRA? I'd recommend calling SSA immediately to get this straightened out.

had same thing happen 2 my sister!! turned out they thought she was still 63 not 67! took WEEKS to fix but they did eventually pay her back everything. keep copies of EVERYTHING

I've dealt with Social Security issues for 20+ years as a benefits coordinator. This is almost certainly an error in their system. There are several possibilities: 1. They have your birthdate wrong in their system and don't think you've reached FRA 2. They're confusing you with someone else (happens more than you'd think) 3. This could be about Medicare IRMAA surcharges, not actual benefit reductions 4. They might be referring to income tax withholding, not benefit reductions Whatever it is, you need to speak with someone at SSA immediately. Don't just assume it will sort itself out. Unfortunately, getting through to SSA by phone can take hours of waiting, multiple attempts, and often disconnections.

SSA is ALWAYS sending incorrect notices! I got 3 different letters last year all contradicting each other about my widows benefits. Complete nightmare dealing with them. Good luck!

Hey there, when I had a similar issue last year trying to get through to SSA on the phone was absolutely impossible. After days of trying, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it for time-sensitive issues like yours where you need to speak to an actual person quickly. Once I got through, the agent fixed my benefit issue right away - turned out it was just a system error.

You're absolutely right about the earnings test not applying after FRA. I'm a retired financial advisor who specialized in Social Security strategies, and this is definitely an error on SSA's part. One thing to check: is it possible you received any benefits in the months of the calendar year when you reached FRA, but before your actual FRA month? Those months would still be subject to the earnings test. For example, if your FRA was October 2024, but you started benefits in January 2024, the earnings test would apply from January through September. If that's not the case, then it's just a mistake that needs correction. Document everything, including when you call, who you speak with, and what they tell you. If they determine it's their error, ask about receiving any underpayments with interest.

Has anyone checked if the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) might be involved here? If you ever worked for federal, state or local government where you didn't pay into Social Security, that could explain a reduction. The timing of the notice might just be coincidental with your part-time work.

my neighbor got a letter like this but it was acutaly a SCAM!!! check it very carefully, did they ask u to call a number or send money???

I'd like to know what happened after you called SSA. Did you get this resolved? Was it an error as most of us suspect? It would be helpful for others who might face similar issues.