Social Security earnings limit confusion - pay date vs. work date for monthly $1,950 limit tracking?

SSA counts earnings when they're earned, not when they're paid. This is different from how they handle self-employment income. Your employer reports your wages on your W-2 based on when you earned them, not when you received payment. For your June situation where you'll work 10 days at 12 hours each (120 hours) at $16.64/hour, you'll earn about $1,997. That would be slightly over the monthly limit of $1,950. However, there's also a yearly limit ($23,400 for 2025), so even if you go over in one month, you might still be under the annual limit which could help. You should call SSA directly and explain your situation. They can provide guidance specific to your case and note it in your file.

I went through this EXACT same thing last year!!! The SSA counts the money when it's EARNED not when you get paid. So you need to track the days you actually work each month, not your payday. Just be careful because my employer's payroll system didn't match how SSA counts it. On my paystubs everything was by PAY PERIOD, but for SS purposes I had to add up the actual days I worked each calendar month. It was super annoying to track!!

The monthly earnings test looks at when the work was performed, not the pay date. However, you should be aware that SSA has a special rule that might help you in June. If you go over the limit in ONLY ONE month of the year due to circumstances beyond your control, and your earnings in the other months are under the limit, SSA may apply what's called a "non-service month" provision and not reduce your benefits for that month. For your June situation, document why you need to work extra (short staffing beyond your control). You should reach out to SSA before June to explain the situation and see if this provision could apply in your case.

SSI or SSDI? The rules are different for each. If it's SSI then you need to report monthly income anyway so its not really about which date counts.

I had this issue too. Call them directly. I tried three days in a row and couldn't get through and then tried at 7:59am right when they opened and STILL got the "all representatives are busy" message.

This whole earnings limit thing is SUCH A SCAM!!! The government just wants to find any excuse to keep our money. I went over by $23 ONE MONTH and they took back a full month of benefits. Then I had to spend HOURS on the phone trying to explain it was a mistake. The whole system is designed to confuse us!

i track mine by work date not pay date. havent had problems so far

One other thing to consider - if you're going to reach Full Retirement Age (FRA) this year, then there's a higher annual limit ($59,520 for 2025) and the reduction is only $1 for every $3 over the limit. After you reach FRA month, there's no limit at all! So your specific situation might be different depending on your age.

Just to follow up on the June situation: If you want to avoid going over the limit, you could ask your employer to shift one of your June shifts to July, or take one unpaid day off in June. At your hourly rate of $16.64, working about 117 hours would keep you just under the $1,950 limit. Alternatively, if this is a one-time situation and you'll be under the limit for all other months, you might actually be better off just working the extra hours, going slightly over in June, and having a small benefit reduction rather than losing a full day's wages.

As someone who's been navigating the earnings limit for a couple years now, I can confirm what others have said - SSA definitely goes by when you EARNED the money, not when you got paid. One thing that might help with your tracking: I created a simple calendar where I mark each work day with my hours and calculate running totals. It takes literally 2 minutes after each shift but saves so much stress at month-end. For your June situation, here's something to consider: since you're consistently under the limit other months, you might want to just work the extra shift and take the small benefit reduction rather than lose a full day's pay. The reduction is $1 for every $2 over the limit, so if you go over by ~$47, you'd only lose about $23 in benefits but gain a full day's wages. But definitely call SSA first about that "non-service month" provision someone mentioned - that could be a game changer if the staffing shortage qualifies as beyond your control!

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to add something that might help. Since you're working 12-hour shifts, make sure you understand how overtime affects your earnings calculation. If any of those 10 days in June push you into overtime (over 40 hours/week), your hourly rate increases to time-and-a-half, which could put you even further over the limit. Also, I've found it helpful to get everything in writing when you call SSA. Ask them to send you a written summary of what they tell you about your specific situation, especially if they confirm the non-service month provision applies to you. That way you have documentation if there are any issues later. One more tip: if you do end up going over in June, report it to SSA right away rather than waiting for them to find out later. They appreciate the proactive communication and it can help avoid complications down the road.

I've been through this exact situation and want to emphasize something that might ease your stress a bit - SSA is actually pretty reasonable when you communicate with them proactively about unusual circumstances like your June situation. When I had a similar staffing shortage issue at my job, I called SSA before the month where I'd go over the limit. The representative I spoke with not only confirmed that they count earnings by work date (not pay date), but also noted in my file that the extra hours were due to circumstances beyond my control. This documentation helped when they reviewed my case later. For tracking, I use a simple notebook where I write down each shift: date, hours worked, and total pay for that day. At the end of each month, I add up just that month's entries. It's been foolproof for me. One thing to keep in mind - even if the non-service month provision doesn't apply to your June situation, remember that going slightly over one month doesn't necessarily mean you'll exceed the annual limit of $23,400. Sometimes it's worth taking the small monthly reduction rather than stressing about rearranging your entire work schedule, especially when your workplace is already short-staffed. Good luck, and don't let the anxiety about this consume you - you're being very responsible by planning ahead!

I'm a new member here but wanted to share what I learned from my own earnings limit situation. I'm also a healthcare worker and went through this same confusion about work dates vs. pay dates. What really helped me was creating a simple monthly tracking system where I record each shift as I work it - date, hours, and gross pay. I keep a running total for each calendar month. This way I always know exactly where I stand without having to decode payroll periods later. For your June situation, I'd suggest calling SSA and specifically asking about the "de minimis" rule too. Sometimes they have flexibility for small overages when it's due to work requirements beyond your control. The worst thing that happens is they say no, but at least you'll have explored all options. Also, don't forget that as a healthcare worker, your employer should be able to provide you with a breakdown of hours worked by calendar month if you need it for SSA purposes. HR departments are usually familiar with these requests since healthcare workers often deal with various benefit programs that require this type of reporting. The stress about this is totally understandable, but you're being very proactive by planning ahead!

I'm a retired SSA employee and want to clarify a few things that might help reduce your anxiety about this situation. First, you're absolutely correct to track by work date, not pay date. This is clearly stated in SSA's operations manual (POMS) and is consistently applied across all field offices. Regarding your June situation, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything about the staffing shortage - emails from management, schedule requests, anything that shows this was beyond your control. When you call SSA, ask specifically about both the "non-service month" provision AND the "good cause" exception. These are two different rules that could potentially apply to your situation. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: if you do go over the limit in June, you have the right to request a waiver of recovery if SSA tries to recoup any overpayment later. Given that healthcare staffing shortages are well-documented nationwide, you'd have a strong case. Finally, don't stress too much about calling SSA. The 800 number (1-800-772-1213) is usually less busy between 10am-2pm on Wednesday or Thursday. Have your Social Security number ready and be prepared to explain your specific work situation clearly. You're doing everything right by planning ahead. Most people don't think about this until after they've already gone over the limit!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar earnings limit situation, so this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're using direct deposit, sometimes there can be delays that make the pay date vs. work date issue even more confusing. I've had paychecks deposited on different days due to bank holidays or processing delays, which made me initially think the deposit date mattered for SSA purposes. Just wanted to confirm for anyone else reading this that it really is all about when you physically performed the work, regardless of when the money hits your account. I learned this the hard way when I was tracking everything by deposit dates and got completely confused about which month certain earnings belonged to. Your situation with the 12-hour shifts sounds challenging to track, but all the advice here about creating a simple calendar or notebook system seems spot-on. I use my phone's notes app to jot down each shift right after I finish, then transfer it to a monthly spreadsheet later. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so helpful to know others have navigated these same confusing rules successfully!

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm 64 and just started receiving Social Security while working part-time, and I had no idea about so many of these nuances with the earnings limit. The distinction between work date vs. pay date seems so obvious now, but I was definitely tracking by when I got paid rather than when I actually worked. I'm going to have to go back and recalculate everything for this year so far! I'm particularly interested in what the retired SSA employee mentioned about the "good cause" exception and waiver of recovery options. Are these things that are commonly granted, or are they rare? I worry that if I do accidentally go over the limit at some point, I'll be stuck with a big overpayment that I can't afford to pay back. Also, for anyone else who might be in a similar situation - I found SSA's Publication No. 05-10069 "How Work Affects Your Benefits" really helpful for understanding the basic rules, though it doesn't get into all the nuanced situations discussed here. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find in the official SSA materials!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and detailed everyone's responses have been! I'm 62 and just started collecting Social Security while working part-time, and this whole earnings limit thing has been keeping me up at night. Like several others mentioned, I was initially tracking by pay date instead of work date - it just seemed more logical since that's when I actually receive the money. But after reading through all these responses, especially from the retired SSA employee, I realize I need to completely change my tracking approach. I work in retail with varying schedules, so some weeks I might work across two different months depending on how the calendar falls. I've been using my bank statements to track earnings, but now I see that's completely wrong for SSA purposes. One question I have that I don't think was fully addressed - if you realize you made an error in your tracking method (like I just did), should you proactively contact SSA to correct it? Or is it better to just fix your tracking going forward and wait to see if they notice any discrepancies during their annual wage matching process? Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly. It's such a relief to know that other people have successfully navigated these confusing rules!

As someone new to this community and the Social Security earnings limit rules, I want to thank everyone for such an incredibly informative discussion! I'm 65 and just started receiving benefits while working part-time as a substitute teacher, and I've been so confused about how to properly track my earnings. Reading through all these responses has been like getting a masterclass in SSA earnings rules. I had no idea about the work date vs. pay date distinction, and like several others here, I was definitely tracking wrong by using my paycheck dates instead of when I actually worked. The substitute teaching schedule makes this particularly tricky since I might work several days in one month but not get paid until the following month, or vice versa. I can see now that I need to track each individual day I work, not when the school district processes payroll. What really stands out to me is how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. The retired SSA employee's insights about the "non-service month" and "good cause" provisions were especially valuable - I had never heard of these options before. And all the practical tracking tips (calendars, notebooks, phone apps) give me confidence that I can manage this properly going forward. For anyone else just starting to navigate these rules, this thread is a goldmine of real-world advice that you simply can't find in the official SSA publications. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences so generously!

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been dealing with the earnings limit for a few years now, I can tell you that your stress is completely understandable - these rules are confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes much more manageable. I want to reinforce what others have said about the work date vs. pay date - SSA definitely counts when you earned the money, not when you received it. This threw me off initially too since most of us naturally think about income when it hits our bank account. For your specific June situation, I'd strongly encourage you to call SSA and ask about both the "non-service month" provision and "good cause" exception that others mentioned. Healthcare staffing shortages are well-documented and considered legitimate circumstances beyond your control. Having worked in healthcare myself, I know how unpredictable staffing can be, especially when people quit unexpectedly. One practical tip that's worked well for me: I keep a small notebook in my work bag and jot down each shift immediately after finishing - just the date, hours worked, and calculated gross pay for that day. Takes 30 seconds but saves hours of confusion later when trying to figure out which calendar month everything belongs to. Don't let this consume your peace of mind - you're being incredibly responsible by planning ahead, and SSA tends to work with people who communicate proactively about their situations!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! I'm 63 and recently started receiving Social Security benefits while working part-time as a medical assistant, and the earnings limit has been a source of constant anxiety for me. Like so many others here, I was completely confused about the work date vs. pay date distinction. I've been tracking everything based on when my paychecks arrive, which now I realize is totally wrong for SSA purposes. My employer pays bi-weekly, so sometimes my paycheck includes work from two different calendar months, which would have made my tracking completely inaccurate. What really impressed me about this thread is not just the wealth of practical information, but how supportive everyone has been. The retired SSA employee's insights about the "non-service month" provision and "good cause" exceptions were eye-opening - I had no idea these options even existed. And all the different tracking methods people have shared (notebooks, calendars, phone apps) give me confidence that I can find a system that works for my schedule. I'm definitely going to start tracking each shift as I work it rather than trying to decipher payroll periods later. And if I ever find myself in a situation like the original poster's June dilemma, I now know to call SSA proactively rather than just worrying about it. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming and informative community. This discussion has transformed my understanding of the earnings limit from a source of stress into something I feel equipped to manage properly!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this detailed discussion! I'm 64 and just started collecting Social Security while working part-time at a local clinic, and I've been making the same mistake as many others here - tracking by pay date instead of work date. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so educational. The retired SSA employee's explanation about "non-service month" and "good cause" provisions was particularly enlightening. I had no idea these exceptions existed, and it gives me hope that SSA might be more flexible than I initially thought for legitimate circumstances. I'm definitely switching to tracking each shift as I work it rather than trying to figure things out from paystubs later. The notebook method several people mentioned sounds perfect for my needs - simple but effective. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: my clinic's HR department was actually very helpful when I explained that I needed to track earnings by calendar month for Social Security purposes. They were able to provide me with a breakdown that showed exactly which dates I worked in each month, which helped me verify my own tracking system. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by these rules like I was, this thread proves that with the right approach and proactive communication with SSA, it's totally manageable. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge so generously!