Social Security restart at FRA after collecting early during pandemic - will I get full benefits?

This depends on whether you WITHDREW your application or SUSPENDED your benefits. These are two completely different things with different outcomes. If you withdrew your application within 12 months of first receiving benefits AND repaid all benefits you received, then you'll get your full FRA amount. If you just suspended payments without withdrawal/repayment, those 9 months will still count as early claiming and your benefit will be permanently reduced.

my friend did somthing like this but waited longer to go back to work. she HAD to pay back ALL the money she got from SS before they would "reset" her benefits. did u have to pay back the 9 months worth??

I had a very similar situation. The key is whether you filed Form SSA-521 (Request for Withdrawal) within 12 months of your initial claim AND repaid all benefits. If you did both, then yes - you'll receive your full FRA benefit amount as if you never claimed early. It essentially erases those 9 months from your record. If you're unsure, you can verify your status by: 1. Checking your MySocialSecurity account online - your benefit estimate should show your full FRA amount if you successfully withdrew 2. Requesting an appointment with SSA to review your file 3. Checking old bank records for the repayment transaction The difference between withdrawal (what you want) and suspension (which would still leave the reduction) is significant - about 5% of your monthly benefit for the rest of your life.

I went thru exact same thing but didn't know I could withdraw! So now I'm stuck with reduced benefits FOREVER even though I only collected for a few months during the pandemic. The SSA system is SO UNFAIR!!!

did u keep the letter they sent u after u withdrew? they should have sent something confirming it went thru

After spending HOURS trying to get through to someone at Social Security about my application status last month, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. You might want to check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to confirm details about my widow's benefits. Might help you get a definitive answer about your withdrawal status.

One more thing to consider - even IF you didn't properly withdraw (though it sounds like you did), your current benefit estimate might still look decent because: 1. Your 9 months of early claiming would only result in approximately a 4.5% permanent reduction (0.5% per month) 2. Any earnings you've had in the 5 years since may have increased your PIA if they were higher than previous years in your calculation 3. COLA adjustments over the past few years have been substantial So all together, even with a small reduction, you might still see a benefit close to what you originally expected at FRA.

The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to confuse us!!! Different rules for withdrawal vs suspension, deadlines we don't know about, and impossible to get answers!!! Why make it so COMPLICATED???

Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you likely did properly withdraw your application. The fact that you remember submitting the SSA-521 form and repaying benefits is very encouraging. When you apply at your FRA, your benefit should be calculated as if you never claimed early at all. One suggestion: when you apply again, be sure to mention your previous withdrawal in the remarks section of the application. This helps ensure the claims specialist handling your case looks for that information in your record. While their system should show the withdrawal, it never hurts to flag it explicitly.