Social Security survivor benefits suspended due to earnings - will SSA notify me about suspension length?

Yes, you should receive an official notice from SSA that explains the suspension and shows your benefit calculation. It typically arrives 2-3 weeks after the suspension decision. The letter will show your monthly benefit amount and explain that benefits are suspended until your earnings drop below the annual limit or you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), whichever comes first. At FRA, the earnings test no longer applies, even if you continue working. Make sure to report your anticipated earnings for next year if you're reducing hours. You might become eligible for partial benefits depending on how much your income drops.

waiting for a letter from ssa lol good luck with that! i waited 7 weeks for mine and when it finally came it barely explained anything. you should call them back and insist on getting the details. their letters are super confusing anyway

The Social Security earnings limit for survivor benefits in 2025 is $22,320 if you're under Full Retirement Age for the full year. You lose $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. Since you're earning around $53,000, you'd lose about $15,340 in benefits ($53,000 - $22,320 = $30,680 ÷ 2 = $15,340). If your monthly survivor benefit is less than $1,278, all your benefits would be withheld. The suspension continues until either: 1. Your earnings drop below the limit 2. You reach the year of your Full Retirement Age (different limit applies) 3. You reach your Full Retirement Age (no more earnings test) The notification letter should explain this calculation and your benefit amount, but it won't specify an end date since that depends on your future earnings or age.

My husband passed 3 years ago and I went thru the EXACT same thing!!! The SSA is terrible about sending clear info. They suspended my survivors benefits because I was still working but didn't tell me ANYTHING about how much I would get once I retired. I had to keep calling and calling to get answers. So frustrating!!!

I had this exact problem last year. After weeks of trying to call SSA and getting nowhere, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes. I was skeptical at first, but it actually worked - saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com. The agent I reached was able to tell me exactly what my suspended benefit amount was and how the earnings test would affect me when I reduced my hours.

Quick tip about the earnings test and survivors benefits: keep track of exactly when you reduce your work hours. If you have a month where you earn less than the monthly limit ($1,860 in 2025) AND you're not performing substantial services in self-employment, you can receive benefits for that month regardless of your annual earnings. This is called the Monthly Earnings Test and it's especially useful in transition years.

I'm so ANGRY at how SSA handles these situations!! I went through something similar with my widows benefits and they suspended payments without any clear explanation!!! I had to fight for MONTHS to get a straight answer about what my benefit amount actually was. The whole system is designed to CONFUSE US and make us give up! Don't trust that they'll send you any letter that makes sense - KEEP CALLING until someone explains it clearly!!!

my mom had this happen and she got a letter about 3 weeks later but honestly it was super confusing so she ended up having to call again anyway. something about work deductions and future adjustments. good luck!

One more thing to consider - any benefits withheld due to the earnings test aren't lost forever. When you reach Full Retirement Age, SSA will recalculate your benefit amount to credit you for months when benefits were withheld. This results in a permanent increase to your monthly benefit amount after FRA. So while it feels like you're losing money now, you do get some of it back later in the form of higher monthly payments.

I'm going through a similar situation with my survivor benefits right now. I'm 62 and still working, earning about $48,000 annually. My benefits were suspended in January and I'm still waiting for that official letter everyone mentions. It's been over a month now. One thing I learned from calling SSA multiple times is that you can also request an estimate of your benefits at different income levels. They can run scenarios for you - like what would happen if you earned $30,000 vs $40,000 next year. This helped me plan my transition to part-time work. Also, make sure to keep detailed records of all your conversations with SSA representatives, including dates and names if possible. I started doing this after getting conflicting information from different agents. It's helped me stay organized and reference previous conversations when I call back. The whole process is definitely frustrating, but don't give up on getting the information you need to make informed decisions about your work and benefits!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! I'm 63 and my survivor benefits were suspended last month due to my $45,000 salary. Like you, I got rushed through the phone call and didn't get clear answers about what to expect. From what I've learned reading through these responses, it sounds like we should definitely receive that official letter within 2-3 weeks explaining our benefit amounts and the suspension details. If it doesn't arrive or is confusing (which seems common), we'll need to call back for clarification. What really caught my attention was the information about the Monthly Earnings Test - apparently if you have individual months where you earn less than $1,860, you can still receive benefits for those specific months even if your annual earnings exceed the limit. This might be something to consider if you're planning to reduce hours gradually. I'm also planning to ask about those benefit estimates at different income levels that @Chloe Taylor mentioned when I call back next week. It sounds like they can run scenarios to help us figure out the optimal timing for reducing work hours. Hang in there - this process is definitely frustrating but at least we're not alone in dealing with it!

I went through this exact situation two years ago when I was 61 and still working full-time. You should definitely receive an official suspension notice, but don't expect it to be crystal clear - mine took about 3 weeks to arrive and was filled with confusing terminology. Here's what I wish someone had told me: the letter will show your calculated monthly benefit amount, but it won't give you a clear "if you earn X, you'll receive Y" breakdown. You'll need to do the math yourself or call for clarification. The earnings limit for 2025 is $22,320 annually, and you lose $1 in benefits for every $2 over that limit. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet with different income scenarios. For example, if your monthly survivor benefit would be $1,500 and you reduce your earnings to $35,000 next year, you'd lose about $6,340 in benefits annually but still receive roughly $11,660 in survivor payments for the year. Also, don't forget that any benefits withheld now will increase your monthly payment amount once you reach Full Retirement Age - it's not money completely lost. This adjustment happens automatically when you hit your FRA. My advice: call SSA back and specifically ask for benefit estimates at your target income levels. Be persistent and don't let them rush you off the phone. You deserve clear answers to make informed financial decisions.

I'm so sorry you're going through this confusing process! I had my survivor benefits suspended last year for the same reason - earnings over the limit - and I completely understand your frustration with getting rushed off the phone. You should definitely receive an official letter, but as others have mentioned, it can take 3-4 weeks and may not be as clear as you'd hope. The letter will show your monthly benefit amount and explain that benefits are suspended due to excess earnings, but it won't give you specific scenarios about what you'd receive at different income levels. Here's what helped me: when you call back (and please do call back!), ask them to run specific calculations for your planned income reduction. For example, if you're planning to earn around $30,000-35,000 when you reduce hours at 64, ask them exactly how much you'd receive in benefits at those income levels. Don't let them rush you - you have every right to understand how this affects your financial planning. Also, keep in mind that the earnings test disappears completely when you reach your Full Retirement Age, regardless of how much you earn. And any months where your benefits are withheld due to earnings will result in a permanent increase to your monthly benefit amount once you hit FRA - so it's not money lost forever. The whole system is needlessly complicated, but you're asking the right questions. Stay persistent and don't settle for vague answers!

I'm currently dealing with survivor benefits myself and wanted to share something that might help. When I called SSA about my suspended benefits, I found it really helpful to have specific questions written down beforehand. Here's what I recommend asking: 1. What is my exact monthly survivor benefit amount? 2. Can you calculate my annual benefit reduction at specific income levels (like $30K, $35K, $40K)? 3. When exactly will I receive the official suspension letter? 4. How does the Monthly Earnings Test work if I reduce hours mid-year? Also, I learned that you can actually request a written benefit estimate for different scenarios. Ask them to mail you a calculation showing what you'd receive at your target income level when you reduce hours. Having it in writing helps avoid confusion later. One more tip: if the first representative seems rushed or unhelpful, politely end the call and try again. I had to call three times before I found someone who took the time to explain everything clearly. Don't give up - you deserve clear answers to make informed decisions about your work and financial future!

I'm going through something very similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 61 and my survivor benefits were just suspended last week due to my $47,000 salary. Like many of you, I got rushed through the phone call and left with more questions than answers. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm now planning to call back with a written list of specific questions and ask for benefit calculations at different income levels. The information about the Monthly Earnings Test is particularly useful - I had no idea you could potentially receive benefits for individual months where you earn less than $1,860, even if your annual income exceeds the limit. It's also really encouraging to learn that the withheld benefits aren't completely lost and will result in higher monthly payments once we reach Full Retirement Age. That definitely changes the financial equation when deciding whether to reduce work hours. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and practical advice. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in SSA procedures just to get basic information, but at least we can help each other navigate this confusing system. I'll report back after my next call with what I learn!

I just went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! You absolutely should receive an official suspension notice, but like others have mentioned, it may take 3-4 weeks and might not be as detailed as you'd hope. Here's what I learned that might help: When you call SSA back (and definitely do!), ask them to explain the "grace year" rule if you haven't heard about it yet. In your first year of receiving survivor benefits, they use a monthly earnings test rather than the annual test, which can be more favorable in some situations. Also, since you mentioned you're planning to reduce hours when you turn 64, keep in mind that there's a special earnings limit rule for the year you reach Full Retirement Age. In that year, the earnings limit is higher (about $59,520 for 2025) and only applies to months before you reach FRA. The key thing is to be very specific about your timeline when you call back. Tell them exactly when you plan to reduce hours and to what income level, and ask for calculations based on those scenarios. Don't let them give you generic information - push for numbers specific to your situation. One last tip: if you do decide to reduce hours mid-year, report the change to SSA immediately. There can be processing delays, but the sooner you report, the sooner your benefits might resume. Good luck!