Social Security retirement timing question - first payment in May for April filing with earnings limit concerns
Getting ready to retire soon and trying to figure out all the SS payment timing details. If I submit my retirement application for an April 1st benefit start date, I understand that I'd get my first actual payment in May, right? My situation is I'll have earned about $22,500 by mid-April when I plan to fully retire. But honestly, I'm worried I might get bored sitting around all day! If I pick up some part-time work later in the year, does the $22,500 I earned BEFORE starting benefits count toward my annual earnings limit? Or does SSA only care about what I earn AFTER my benefit start date? Really confused about how this earnings test works in the first year of retirement. Thanks in advance for helping this SS newbie!
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Evelyn Xu
Yes, you're correct that your first payment would arrive in May for an April benefit start date. Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month they're due for. As for the earnings limit question - in your first year of retirement, SSA applies a monthly earnings test rather than just the annual one. So they'll only count earnings after you start receiving benefits. The earnings you made before April 1st won't count against your limit! For 2025, assuming you're under Full Retirement Age (FRA), you can earn up to $23,080 for the year without penalty, but since you're starting mid-year, they'll use the monthly limit of about $1,923 per month for the remaining months of the year. Anything over that amount in a particular month could reduce your benefit for that month.
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Sophia Russo
•Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed to know. So to be clear - my $22,500 earned Jan-April won't count, and then I'd have a monthly earning limit of $1,923 for May-December? That makes things much clearer. One follow-up question: if I earn over the limit in one month (say I work extra in July), but stay under in other months, do they just reduce that one month's benefit or does it affect multiple months?
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Dominic Green
Not trying to contradict the other poster, but I think ur actually wrong about how SS counts income in the first year!! When I retired in 2023, they counted ALL my income for the year, even what I earned before I started getting benefits. Got hit with a big overpayment notice 8 months later!!! Had to pay back almost $4000!!! The SS rules are CRAZY complicated and the reps give wrong info all the time. BE CAREFUL!!
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Hannah Flores
•My dad had the same experience last year! The SSA counted his full income from January-March even though he didn't start benefits until April. The monthly earnings test thing is confusing - I think it only applies in certain situations? Not sure tho
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Kayla Jacobson
I can clear this up. In your first year of retirement, you can use either the monthly earnings test OR the annual test, whichever is more beneficial to you. For the monthly test (which applies when you first retire mid-year): - You can earn any amount in months BEFORE you retire with no penalty - In months AFTER you've started benefits, you're limited to $1,923/month in 2025 This is specifically designed for people like you who have high earnings early in the year before retirement. The confusion some people experience happens when they don't properly notify SSA they've retired, or if they go back to work later that year and earn above the monthly limit. At that point, SSA might switch to applying the annual test instead. Make sure you clearly indicate your retirement date when you apply for benefits, and keep SSA informed if you return to work. That should help you avoid any overpayment issues.
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Dominic Green
•Yeah but try PROVING to them that you've retired! Even with all my paperwork they still messed it up. The system is BROKEN!!!
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William Rivera
I just went through this exact situation earlier this year! Yes, your first payment will come in May for April benefits. About the earnings test - I was so frustrated trying to get a straight answer from SSA. Called their main number multiple times and kept getting disconnected after being on hold for over an hour. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent in about 10 minutes. The rep confirmed exactly what the second commenter said - in your first retirement year, they use the monthly test and ignore pre-retirement earnings. They have a quick video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Saved me so much time and stress! Definitely worth checking out if you need to speak with an actual person at SSA about your specific situation.
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Sophia Russo
•Thanks for the tip! I'll probably need to talk to someone at SSA directly since my situation has some other complications I didn't mention. Getting through on the phone is always such a nightmare, so I'll check out that service.
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Grace Lee
my sister said she got her first check in the SECOND month after applying so it might be June not May just fyi
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Kayla Jacobson
•That can happen if there are processing delays, but normally if your benefit start date is April 1st, the first payment would arrive in May. However, if the application isn't processed quickly enough, it could push to June with back payments. It's good to prepare financially for possible delays.
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Mia Roberts
One thing nobody mentioned - if you're getting direct deposit (which you should!), payments usually arrive on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month depending on your birth date. If you were born between the 1st-10th, it's the 2nd Wednesday. 11th-20th is the 3rd Wednesday. 21st-31st is the 4th Wednesday. Just so you know exactly when to expect it!
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Sophia Russo
•Good to know! I was born on the 17th so looks like I'd get payments on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. That helps with budgeting.
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Hannah Flores
wait i'm confused about something... you said you're making $17k through mid-april but then you said $22,500? which is it? the amount matters for the earnings test right?
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Sophia Russo
•Sorry for the confusion! I originally estimated $17K but after calculating more carefully it's closer to $22,500. But from what everyone's saying, it sounds like that pre-retirement amount doesn't matter for the earnings test as long as I properly report my retirement date to SSA.
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Evelyn Xu
One more important detail: make sure you apply for benefits 2-3 months before you want them to begin. While you can apply up to 4 months in advance, I recommend applying no later than February if you want April benefits. This gives SSA enough processing time to ensure your May payment arrives on schedule. And regarding the earnings limit - keep very careful records of all your work income after retirement. If you do pick up part-time work, report any changes to SSA promptly to avoid overpayment issues later. The monthly earnings test is actually designed to help people in your exact situation who have high earnings before retirement and limited earnings after.
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Sophia Russo
•Thanks for this advice! I'll definitely apply in February to make sure everything is processed in time. And I'll keep meticulous records of any post-retirement income. Better safe than sorry!
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