When should I report to Social Security about approaching earnings limit before FRA?
I started collecting Social Security early (I'm 63) and I'm working part-time. I'm getting worried that I might end up earning more than the annual limit ($22,320 for 2025 I think?). My hours at work have been increasing lately, and I might pick up some extra shifts over the holidays. Do I need to call SSA now to let them know I might go over, or am I supposed to wait until I file my taxes next year? I don't want to get hit with a huge overpayment notice because I didn't report properly. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? What happens if I don't report until tax time?
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Sofia Gutierrez
You should report it to Social Security as soon as you realize you'll exceed the earnings limit. Don't wait until tax time. The SSA gets earnings reports from employers, but that's often delayed. If you know you'll go over, call and let them know so they can adjust your benefits accordingly. This prevents a large overpayment later that you'd have to pay back in a lump sum. You can estimate your annual earnings and report that estimate to SSA, then they'll adjust your monthly payment.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Thanks for this! Do you know what kind of proof I need to provide when I call them? Like do I need to have my pay stubs ready or anything? And will they just stop my payments completely once I report?
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Dmitry Petrov
OMG i went thru this EXACT nightmare last year!!! i didnt tell SSA until tax time and they hit me with a $8,700 overpayment that i have to pay back!!! SO STRESSFUL. definately call them right away, dont wait like i did. its all so confusing with the rules and limits!!
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Dylan Mitchell
•Oh no! That sounds awful. $8,700 is a huge amount to pay back. Are they letting you pay it back in small amounts or did they want it all at once?
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StarSurfer
i think ur supposed to report when u know for sure ur gonna go over not just when u think u might. i waited til i actually went over since my hours change a lot. the rules r different depending on if ur at FRA or not. the year u reach FRA the limit is way higher.
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Ava Martinez
•This is incorrect information. The Social Security Administration requires you to report ANY change that could affect benefits, including estimated earnings that might exceed the limit. Waiting until you've already gone over can result in complications and overpayments that are difficult to resolve. The monthly earnings test applies in the year you reach FRA, but before that it's an annual limit.
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Miguel Castro
The SSA actually recommends reporting if you think you'll exceed the annual earnings limit. I've been through this process twice. Here's what happens: 1. Call SSA and provide your estimate of total yearly earnings 2. They'll calculate how much needs to be withheld 3. They may suspend benefits for certain months 4. After tax season, they'll reconcile the actual amount vs estimated If you wait until tax time, you'll face an overpayment notice. Then you'll either need to repay in a lump sum or have future benefits reduced. Much better to be proactive! The earnings limit is $22,320 for 2025 if you're under FRA for the entire year.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•I had a similar experience but the local office told me something different. They said I could wait until I actually went over... but that was back in 2023 so maybe the rules changed?
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Ava Martinez
I had so much trouble trying to report my earnings when I went over the limit last year. I spent WEEKS trying to reach an agent at SSA! Kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting an hour. I finally discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in less than 15 minutes. Check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - honestly saved me so much frustration. Their website is claimyr.com. Once I finally reached an agent, the process was pretty simple - just needed to provide my estimated yearly earnings, and they adjusted my benefits accordingly.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Thank you for the Claimyr recommendation! I'll definitely check it out. I tried calling SSA yesterday and couldn't get through after 45 minutes of waiting. Did you need any specific documentation ready when you finally spoke to someone?
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Dmitry Petrov
Anyone know if the retirement earnings test limit is different than the disability limit? Im on SSDI not retirement and Im allowed to work part time as long as its not substantial (SGA) which is different i think? The whole system is SO confusing!!!
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Miguel Castro
•You're right - they're completely different rules. The retirement earnings test applies to people taking retirement benefits before FRA. For SSDI, you follow the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) rules, which in 2025 means you can't earn more than $1,550/month (or $2,590 if you're blind). SSDI also has trial work periods that don't exist for retirement benefits.
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Connor Byrne
my neighbor had to deal with this last year too he just had to pay back the amount that was over he said it wasn't that big a deal they didn't charge interest or anything
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•That's a good point about no interest being charged! But if someone's on a fixed income, even without interest, having to repay thousands of dollars can be extremely difficult. Better to avoid the overpayment altogether by reporting changes early.
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Ava Martinez
The annual earnings test can be tricky to navigate. For anyone approaching the limit, it's important to understand that SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above the annual limit if you're under FRA. Once you reach your FRA, the earnings test no longer applies, and you can earn as much as you want without reduction. If you're reaching FRA during 2025, a different limit applies only for the months before you reach FRA. Always best to report changes promptly to avoid complications.
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Dylan Mitchell
•This is really helpful, thank you! I'll still be under FRA for a couple more years, so I definitely need to keep track of this. I'm going to call them this week to report my estimated earnings.
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