Social Security earnings record question - do earnings after turning 70 still count toward benefits?

Yes, your earnings for the entire year of 2025 will count, even after you turn 70. Social Security continues to review your earnings record and will automatically adjust your benefit amount if your recent earnings replace a lower-earning year in your top 35 years used to calculate your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). There's no cutoff at age 70 for earnings consideration - that's a common misconception because age 70 is when delayed retirement credits stop accruing.

My dad had same situation kept working till 72 and got a small increase after he filed taxes that year. SSA did it automatic no need to call them.

Just to add a bit more technical detail to what others have said - SSA recalculates benefits annually through an automated process called the Automatic Earnings Reappraisal Operation (AERO). This typically happens after your employer submits your W-2 and your tax return is processed, usually around October of the following year. So for 2025 earnings, you might see an adjustment around October 2026. One important thing to note: the benefit increase is retroactive to January of the year after you earned the higher wages. So if your 2025 earnings increase your benefit, you'll get the higher amount starting January 2026, even though the adjustment might not appear until later in 2026.

I turned 70 last year and worked half the year. My earnings were pretty high that last 6 months (like $48k) and it DID increase my monthly SS amount by about $37. Not huge but something! And they did it automatically around August this year. Got a letter in the mail about it.

Everyone's giving good info but I just want to add - be aware that working while collecting Social Security means you'll pay FICA taxes on those earnings even though they might only marginally increase your benefit. At age 70, the return on those FICA contributions is generally pretty small compared to what you paid in. Not saying don't work, just be realistic about the financial impact.

I tried caling SSA about this EXACT question last year and spent 3 HOURS on hold before getting disconnected!!! SO FRUSTRATING!!! Then I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Agent confirmed what others are saying - earnings after 70 still count and can increase benefits if they're higher than previous years. Worth getting a definitive answer for your specific situation.

anyone know if theres a limit how much it can go up? like if i suddenly make $150k this year at age 71 will it matter?

HOLD UP aren't we mixing up delayed retirement credits and recalculation based on earnings??? I thought once you file for benefits, you CANT earn delayed retirement credits anymore???? OP already started collecting in January!! So confused about all this now...

I want to thank everyone for all the helpful responses! To summarize what I've learned: 1) Yes, my earnings for all of 2025 will count, even after I turn 70 in May. 2) If 2025 ends up being one of my highest 35 years of earnings, it could replace a lower year and increase my benefit. 3) The adjustment should happen automatically through the AERO system around October 2026, but it's good to follow up if I don't see a change. 4) Any increase would be retroactive to January 2026. I feel much better about continuing to work now, knowing it might still boost my monthly check!

Great question and even better summary of all the answers! One small addition - if you want to get a rough estimate of how much your 2025 earnings might increase your benefit, you can use the SSA's online benefit calculators or check your earnings record on myssa.gov. Since Social Security uses your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, you can see which year might get replaced. Even a modest increase of $20-30/month adds up to hundreds per year for the rest of your life, so definitely worth continuing to work if you're enjoying it and earning well!

As someone who works in HR and helps employees with retirement planning, I can confirm what others have said - earnings after 70 absolutely still count toward benefit recalculation! I've seen this happen dozens of times with our retirees who continue working part-time or consulting. One thing I'd add is that you might want to keep detailed records of your 2025 earnings and maybe screenshot your current benefit amount, just in case you need to follow up with SSA later. Also, if you're planning to work through December, consider whether you want to adjust your tax withholdings since you'll be paying both income tax and FICA on those earnings while also receiving Social Security benefits. The extra paperwork is worth it if 2025 really will be one of your top earning years!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it's so relevant to your question! I turned 70 in September 2024 and kept working until the end of the year. My 2024 earnings were actually my highest in about 8 years due to some overtime and a small bonus. I just got my updated Social Security statement last month and my benefit did increase by $22/month starting this January - SSA processed it automatically without me having to call. The increase was retroactive to January 2025 even though I didn't see it reflected until my February payment. So yes, definitely keep working if it's going to be a high-earning year! The folks here have given you excellent advice about the AERO system and timing. Just wanted to add another real-world example that confirms what everyone's been telling you.