When does Social Security recalculate benefits for higher earning years?

The SSA automatically recalculates your benefits each year after your employer reports your W-2 earnings (usually by March). If you had higher earnings that would increase your benefit, they'll adjust your monthly payment and pay you any retroactive increase. The actual adjustment typically appears around October-December of the following year. You don't need to contact them to trigger the recalculation - it's automatic.

Are you SURE it's automatic?? I worked all last year making way more than some of my early years (I had zeros for 3 years in my 20s) and haven't seen ANY change in my SS payment. Should I call them??? I'm worried I'm missing out on money I deserve!!!!

When I was working past FRA, I had to wait almost a full YEAR after filing taxes before seeing any increase! And then they only gave me like $13 more a month - total ripoff after paying thousands in SS taxes on my part-time job. The system is designed to take our money but be as stingy as possible giving it back!!

Just to add some technical details: This process is called an Automatic Earnings Reappraisal Operation (AERO). SSA runs these calculations annually, typically in October, but the actual adjustments might appear in your payments between October and December. The recalculation considers earnings from the previous year that were recently posted to your record. If you're working while receiving benefits before your Full Retirement Age, remember that the earnings limit applies ($21,240 for 2025), and exceeding it reduces benefits temporarily. After FRA, there's no earnings limit, and additional work can increase your benefit amount through the AERO process.

This happened to my husband last year! He worked a consulting job and made good money, and in November they increased his SS payment by about $76/month. They also sent him a lump sum for the retroactive increase going back to January of that year. We weren't expecting it - nice surprise!

I had this exact question last year and spent WEEKS trying to get through to SS on the phone to ask about it. Constant busy signals and disconnections. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a rep in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed everything people are saying here - the AERO process is automatic and happens in the fall for the previous year's earnings. They have a video explaining how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much frustration!

I just got a letter about this! They said they recalculated my benefit based on my 2024 earnings and I'm getting a whole $12 more per month lol. Better than nothing I guess.

so is this different from the annual COLA increase? i always get confused about how they figure our payments

ANYONE notice how we all wait months or YEARS for these tiny increases while members of Congress vote themselves raises whenever they want?? my neighbor worked full time last year and only got $32 more in his benefit - what a joke when DC elites get gold-plated pensions!!

Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations! As someone who's been wondering about this same thing, it's really helpful to know about the AERO process and that it's automatic. I've been working part-time since retiring and wasn't sure if I needed to do anything to make sure my higher earnings get counted. It sounds like I just need to be patient and wait for the October-December timeframe. I'll keep an eye on my payments and check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov like someone suggested. Appreciate all the real-world examples too - even small increases add up over time!

Great discussion everyone! I'm in a similar situation - been collecting SS for 2 years and started a part-time job last year that pays more than I made in some of my early career years (had a few low-earning years in my 30s when I was between jobs). It's reassuring to know the AERO process is automatic and I don't need to contact SSA directly. I'll definitely check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to make sure everything looks correct. Does anyone know if there's a way to estimate roughly how much the increase might be, or do you just have to wait and see what they calculate?

As a newcomer here, I really appreciate all this detailed information about the AERO process! I'm 68 and have been collecting Social Security for about a year while working a part-time retail job. My earnings last year were definitely higher than some of my earlier years when I was raising kids and only worked sporadically. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I should expect to see any adjustment sometime between October and December this year for my 2024 earnings. It's good to know I don't need to call SSA (those phone waits sound terrible!) and that the system handles it automatically. I'll definitely check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov like several people suggested to make sure everything is being reported correctly. Thanks for sharing your real experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official SSA website!

As someone new to this community, I'm really grateful for all the detailed information shared here! I'm 64 and just started collecting Social Security while working a part-time consulting job. My earnings this year are significantly higher than some of my earlier career years when I was just starting out and making much less. It's reassuring to learn about the AERO process and that it's completely automatic - I was worried I'd have to navigate those dreaded SSA phone lines! Reading everyone's real-world experiences about the timing (October-December for adjustments) and the retroactive payments is incredibly helpful. I'll definitely check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to make sure everything is being reported correctly. Even if the increase turns out to be modest like some of you mentioned, every bit helps with rising costs. Thanks for creating such an informative discussion - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that's hard to find elsewhere!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for such a thorough and helpful discussion! I'm 66 and have been collecting Social Security for about 8 months while working part-time at a local nonprofit. My current earnings are definitely higher than several years in my 20s and 30s when I had some periods of unemployment and lower-paying jobs. Reading about the AERO process has been eye-opening - I had no idea this automatic recalculation even existed! It's such a relief to know I don't need to contact SSA directly (those horror stories about phone wait times are concerning). I'm particularly grateful for the specific timing information - knowing to expect any adjustments between October and December gives me a realistic timeframe. I'll definitely be checking my earnings record on my.ssa.gov as several of you recommended. Even if my eventual increase is on the smaller side like some of the examples shared here, it's encouraging to know that continued work can still benefit my monthly payments. This kind of real-world insight from actual recipients is invaluable - thank you all for sharing your experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! I'm 67 and have been collecting Social Security for about 6 months while working a part-time administrative job at a medical office. My current earnings are definitely higher than some lean years I had in my 40s when I was caring for elderly parents and could only work sporadically. Learning about the AERO process has been such a revelation - I honestly had no idea that Social Security would automatically recalculate benefits based on continued work earnings! It's wonderful to know this happens without me having to navigate what sounds like a nightmare phone system. The timing details everyone has shared (expecting adjustments between October-December) are so helpful for setting realistic expectations. I'll absolutely be checking my earnings record on my.ssa.gov as multiple people have recommended - it sounds like those low-earning caregiving years might actually work in my favor now. Even if my increase ends up being modest like many of the examples shared, it's encouraging to know that staying active in the workforce can still positively impact my monthly benefits. Thank you all for creating such an informative and supportive discussion - this kind of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing is exactly what I was hoping to find!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this detailed discussion about AERO! I'm 63 and just started collecting Social Security a few months ago while working part-time as a bookkeeper. My current earnings are definitely higher than some years in my early 30s when I was a stay-at-home mom and only did occasional freelance work. I had no idea that Social Security would automatically recalculate my benefits - I thought once you started collecting, that was it! Reading everyone's experiences about the October-December timing and the automatic nature of the process is such a relief. I was dreading having to call SSA after hearing about those endless hold times. I'll definitely check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to make sure everything looks correct. It's encouraging to see that even modest increases can make a difference, and knowing it's retroactive to January makes it even better. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - this community is already proving to be such a valuable resource!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my appreciation for such a comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm 65 and have been collecting Social Security for about 4 months while working part-time at a local library. My current earnings are significantly higher than several years in my late 20s when I was between jobs and had some periods of very low income. Learning about the AERO process through all of your shared experiences has been incredibly enlightening - I honestly thought my benefit amount was set in stone once I started collecting! It's such a relief to know that the recalculation happens automatically without having to deal with SSA's phone system (those wait time stories are genuinely frightening). The specific timing information about October-December adjustments has given me a realistic timeline for what to expect. I'll definitely be monitoring my earnings record on my.ssa.gov as so many of you have recommended. Even if my eventual increase is modest like some of the examples shared here, it's reassuring to know that staying employed can still positively impact my monthly benefits. This discussion has been exactly what I was hoping to find - real experiences from people in similar situations rather than trying to navigate confusing government documentation alone. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this thorough discussion about the AERO process! I'm 69 and have been collecting Social Security for about 14 months while working part-time as a tax preparer during busy season. My seasonal earnings are definitely higher than some years in my early career when I was making much less in entry-level positions. I had absolutely no idea that Social Security would automatically recalculate benefits based on continued work - I always assumed once you started collecting, that was your final amount forever! Reading everyone's real experiences about the October-December timing and the automatic nature of the process has been such a relief. I was actually considering calling SSA to ask about this, but after hearing about those nightmare wait times, I'm so glad I found this discussion first! I'll definitely be checking my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to make sure my seasonal work is being reported correctly. Even if my increase ends up being on the smaller side like some of the examples shared, it's wonderful to know that my continued work can still benefit my monthly payments. Thank you all for sharing such detailed, practical information - this kind of peer knowledge is exactly what makes these communities so valuable!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful I found this incredibly detailed discussion about the AERO process! I'm 62 and just started collecting Social Security about 2 months ago while working part-time as a retail manager. My current earnings are definitely higher than several years in my 30s when I was going through a divorce and had to take lower-paying jobs just to get by. I honestly had no clue that Social Security would automatically recalculate benefits based on continued earnings - like so many others here, I thought once you started collecting, that amount was locked in forever! Reading everyone's experiences about the October-December timing and knowing it's completely automatic has been such a huge relief. I was actually dreading having to call SSA after all the horror stories about endless hold times. I'll absolutely be checking my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to make sure everything is being reported properly. Since I'm not quite at full retirement age yet, I'm being careful to stay under the earnings limit, but it's encouraging to know that my part-time work can still potentially increase my future benefits. Even if the increase turns out to be modest like many of the examples shared, every little bit helps with rising costs. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative discussion - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find in official government materials!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion about the AERO process! I'm 71 and have been collecting Social Security for about 18 months while working part-time as a substitute teacher. My current earnings are higher than several years in my 20s when I was just starting my teaching career at much lower salary levels. Like many others here, I had no idea that Social Security would automatically recalculate benefits - I genuinely thought my monthly amount was permanently fixed once I started collecting! Learning about the October-December timing for adjustments and that it's completely automatic has been such a relief. I was considering calling SSA to ask about this, but after reading about those awful wait times, I'm so grateful I found this discussion instead. I'll definitely check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to ensure my substitute teaching income is being reported correctly. Being well past full retirement age means I don't have to worry about earnings limits, which is wonderful. Even if my eventual increase is modest like many examples shared here, it's encouraging to know that staying active in education can still positively impact my benefits. This community discussion has provided exactly the kind of practical, real-world insight that's impossible to find elsewhere - thank you all for sharing your experiences so generously!