Social Security earnings limit nightmare - husband's benefits suspended until March after working 2 months

Yes, this is a common misunderstanding about the earnings test. During your first year receiving benefits, SSA applies a monthly test instead of just the annual test. In 2025, that monthly limit is $1,860. If you exceed that in any month before reaching your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you don't get benefits for that month regardless of your annual total. The good news is you have options: 1. File for reconsideration of the repayment plan - the first rep was correct that a partial withholding is typically available 2. Request a waiver if it would cause financial hardship (Form SSA-632) 3. Make sure they're correctly counting his earnings (only count wages in the month earned, not when paid) Don't panic yet - this is fixable. I'd recommend calling back and asking specifically for a supervisor who can review the 10% withholding denial.

Had EXACTLY the same thing happen with my wife last yr!! She worked 3 months over the limit and ss took away 6 months of checks!! We had to take $ from our savings just to pay bills. The whole system is rigged to confuse people and then punish them. Good luck getting through to anyone helpful at SSA...we tried for WEEKS.

I see this situation all the time in my work. The monthly earnings test in the first year of benefits (sometimes called the grace year rule) catches many people off guard. Here's what you need to know: 1. You're correct that in 2025, the monthly limit is $1,860 if you're under Full Retirement Age 2. The 10% withholding for overpayments is standard practice, but it must be formally approved 3. It sounds like something went wrong in the processing of your repayment plan Here's what I recommend: Have your husband request a formal reconsideration (Form SSA-561) AND file for a reduced withholding rate due to financial hardship (Form SSA-634). Be very specific about your monthly expenses and income to prove that withholding 100% would cause hardship. The most important thing is to act quickly - you only have 60 days from receiving the overpayment notice to file the reconsideration.

My uncle had this problem to. He worked to much after he started getting SS and they took his checks for like 5 months. Super annoying system!

If you need to reach someone at Social Security quickly about this overpayment issue, try using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with an overpayment problem and spent days trying to get through the normal SSA phone line. A friend recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they connected me with an SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through to an actual person, I was able to explain my financial situation and get my withholding reduced to 10% instead of having all my benefits suspended. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with something as time-sensitive as benefit suspensions.

I think there's some confusion here about how the earnings test works. Let me try to clarify: In the calendar year you first retire, SSA applies a monthly earnings test instead of just the annual test. For 2025, you can receive benefits for any month your earnings are $1,860 or less AND you didn't perform substantial services in self-employment. This is actually meant to HELP people who retire mid-year. Without this rule, if someone worked January-June and made $50,000, then retired, they'd exceed the annual limit ($22,300) and lose benefits for the entire year. The monthly test allows them to still receive benefits for the months after they retire. Regarding your repayment situation: By law, SSA must recover overpayments, but they should not create financial hardship. Request a payment plan again and specifically ask for a "waiver due to financial hardship" using Form SSA-632. Detail ALL your monthly expenses to demonstrate you can't afford to lose the entire benefit. You can also appeal the overpayment itself if you believe it's incorrect using Form SSA-561. Act quickly because there are time limits!

THIS HAPPENED TO ME LAST YEAR!!! The monthly earnings limit is a TRAP they don't tell you about when you sign up!! I worked just ONE month over the limit and they took away 3 months of checks!!! The system is BROKEN!!!!!

One thing I didn't mention earlier - make sure your husband keeps detailed records of all his communication with SSA. Write down the date, time, name of the representative, and what was discussed each time he calls. This documentation will be extremely helpful for your reconsideration request. Also, if you have any bills that will be difficult to pay without his Social Security benefits, gather those documents now. Proof of mortgage/rent, utilities, medical expenses, etc. will strengthen your case for financial hardship. Lastly, consider contacting your Congressional Representative's office. They often have dedicated staff who can help constituents navigate SSA issues. They can sometimes get answers and resolutions faster than you can on your own.

my dad always said never take SS early cuz of all these crazy rules! to many headaches lol

To answer your question from earlier - typically, SSA will continue recovery efforts while a reconsideration is pending, meaning benefits could remain suspended. However, you can specifically request that recovery be paused during the appeal process. This isn't automatically granted, but it's worth requesting. Also, something important to note: if your husband has stopped working completely now, make sure SSA knows this. Once he has a month where he's below the earnings limit AND no longer working (or working very limited hours), benefits should resume for that month forward, regardless of the overpayment from previous months. The critical forms you need are: - SSA-561 (Request for Reconsideration) - SSA-632 (Request for Waiver of Overpayment Recovery) - SSA-634 (Request for Change in Overpayment Recovery Rate) Submit all three to cover all your bases. The SSA-634 specifically addresses the 10% withholding you were initially offered.