Social Security earnings limit confusion at FRA - can my husband earn more after reaching full retirement age?

The SSA representative gave your husband incorrect information. Once he reaches his Full Retirement Age (FRA), the earnings limit disappears completely. There is NO limit on how much he can earn without affecting his Social Security benefits after reaching FRA. The earnings limit only applies before reaching FRA. For 2025, the limits are: - $22,320/year if you're under FRA for the full year (with $1 in benefits withheld for every $2 over the limit) - $59,520/year in the year you reach FRA, but only counting earnings before the month you reach FRA (with $1 in benefits withheld for every $3 over the limit) After FRA, he can earn millions and it won't reduce his Social Security retirement benefits at all.

OMG the SSA reps get this wrong ALL THE TIME!!! I had the EXACT same thing happen last year. Was told I couldn't earn over the limit even at FRA. I ended up turning down extra work hours and THEN found out later the rep was WRONG!!!! I was FURIOUS because I missed out on about $7000 of income I could have earned. The SSA never apologized or did ANYTHING to make it right. SAVE YOURSELF the headache and don't listen to that rep. The earnings limit COMPLETELY DISAPPEARS at FRA. Period.

I ran into this exact issue trying to get accurate information about the earnings test. After multiple frustrating calls to SSA where I got contradicting information, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent I spoke with confirmed what others have said - once you reach full retirement age, the earnings limit completely disappears. If you want to verify this directly with SSA without the frustration, check out their service. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

The Social Security earnings test (which is what this is called officially) works like this: 1. Before the year you reach FRA: $1 in benefits withheld for every $2 above annual limit ($22,320 in 2025) 2. The year you reach FRA: $1 in benefits withheld for every $3 above higher limit ($59,520 in 2025) but ONLY counting earnings BEFORE the month you reach FRA 3. Month you reach FRA and beyond: NO EARNINGS LIMIT WHATSOEVER Source: I'm a financial advisor who deals with this constantly. The representative who told your husband otherwise was 100% incorrect. This is clearly stated on SSA's own website. Also important: Any benefits withheld due to excess earnings are eventually returned to you in the form of a higher monthly benefit when you reach FRA.

The benefit recalculation should happen automatically when he reaches FRA, but in my experience, it's always wise to follow up. The SSA handles millions of beneficiaries and sometimes things slip through the cracks. When he reaches FRA, I'd recommend checking his benefit amount after 2-3 months. If it hasn't increased to account for those withheld benefits, then contact the SSA. They can verify whether the recalculation was processed or not. Keep good records of his earnings and any benefit reductions in the meantime.

my dad had same problem but opposite...he kept working past fra and nobody told him he could earn whatever he wanted! wasted 2 years working only part time when he coulda been making full salary plus ss. the whole system is way to complicated if you ask me.

Here's the direct link on the SSA website that confirms what everyone is saying about the earnings test ending at FRA: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html I would suggest printing this page and keeping it for reference. You could even bring it if you need to visit an SSA office for any reason. The relevant quote: "Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, your earnings no longer affect your Social Security benefit, no matter how much you earn."

Wait im confused...isnt SSI different from regular social security? Maybe the worker was talking about SSI which does have asset and income limits even after retirement age? Just wondering if there was a miscommunication about which program.

Thank you all so much for your helpful responses! I feel much better now knowing that the SSA rep was wrong and that my husband CAN earn unlimited income once he reaches his full retirement age next year without affecting his benefits. We'll definitely print out that SSA webpage for reference. And we'll make sure to verify that his benefit amount gets properly adjusted for any withheld amounts once he reaches FRA. What a relief - this means our retirement plan can proceed as we originally thought! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to help clarify this confusing situation.