Will I lose $6,000 in withheld SS benefits when switching to survivor benefits at 64?
I'm caught in a confusing Social Security situation and need some guidance. I started collecting my retirement benefits early at 62. When filling out the forms, I WAY overestimated my expected income for that year (a big mistake I now regret). Because of this error, the SSA withheld around $6,000 of my benefits due to the earnings test. Fast forward to now - I'm 64 and my ex-husband just passed away last month. We were married for 23 years and I never remarried. My plan is to switch to survivor benefits when I reach my survivor benefit FRA, which would give me about $1,500 more per month than my current retirement benefit. Here's what I'm worried about: What happens to that $6,000 that was withheld? If I had stayed on my own retirement benefit record, I understand they would eventually adjust my monthly amount once I hit my FRA (66 and 4 months for me). But what happens when I switch to survivor benefits instead? Will I completely lose that $6,000? Do they somehow factor that withholding into my survivor benefit calculation? I'm so confused about how this works when changing benefit types!
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Sofia Gutierrez
just call the ssa and ask them directly, nobody here is gonna know your exact situation
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Dylan Mitchell
•I've tried calling 5 times this week and can't get through. Either disconnected or on hold for hours until they close for the day. That's why I came here hoping someone had a similar experience.
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Dmitry Petrov
I can help clarify this for you. The earnings test withholding and subsequent adjustment at FRA applies only to your own retirement benefits. When you switch to survivor benefits, you're moving to an entirely different benefit type, so those adjustments don't carry over. However, the $6,000 that was withheld isn't necessarily lost forever. The SSA should have recalculated your benefits and potentially given you a refund if your actual earnings ended up being lower than your estimate. Did you report your actual earnings to SSA after that year ended? Also, something important to consider - you might not want to wait until your survivor FRA. Unlike retirement benefits, survivor benefits can be taken as early as age 60 (at a reduced rate). In some cases, it makes sense to take reduced survivor benefits earlier, then switch to your own retirement benefits at 70 if they would be higher by then with delayed retirement credits.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Thank you for this explanation! I did report my actual earnings on my tax return, but I never specifically contacted SSA about the overestimation. Should I have done something else? Regarding taking survivor benefits early - my own benefit at 70 would still be less than the survivor benefit, so I figured waiting until survivor FRA made the most sense. But maybe I should reconsider?
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StarSurfer
my condolences about your ex. I went thru something similar but I wasn't eligible for ex-spouse benefits because we were only married 9 years 😞 from what I understand that $6k is probably gone forever once you switch benefit types, the adjustment only happens on the same benefit
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Dylan Mitchell
•Thank you, it's been difficult even though we've been divorced for years. I'm sorry you weren't eligible - that 10-year marriage requirement is so strict. I appreciate your input about the $6k. It's frustrating to think it might be gone when it was just an honest mistake on the paperwork.
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Ava Martinez
You need to request an earnings test recalculation from SSA for the year you overestimated. This is called a "midyear method" adjustment. SSA does not automatically recalculate this when you file taxes - you have to specifically request it. As for switching to survivor benefits, you're correct that the adjustment mechanism at FRA only applies to the same benefit type. Each benefit type (retirement, survivor, spousal) has its own separate rules and calculations. The $6,000 withholding adjustment won't transfer to your survivor benefit. However, there's a strategy you might consider. Depending on your specific situation, it might be advantageous to: 1) Request the earnings test recalculation now to potentially get back some of that $6,000 2) Consider if it makes financial sense to take reduced survivor benefits immediately 3) Let your own retirement benefit continue to grow until age 70 The optimal strategy depends on the exact benefit amounts and your life expectancy.
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Miguel Castro
•Are you 100% sure about this? I had a similar issue with benefits withheld and when I switched benefit types they told me I couldn't get that money back???
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Zainab Abdulrahman
I had the EXACT SAME PROBLEM last year!!! Waited on hold for DAYS trying to get someone at SSA to help me. Finally I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual SSA agent in 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. The agent was able to process my earnings recalculation and I got most of my withheld benefits back in a lump sum payment. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Definitely worth it since I was about to give up after trying to call for weeks.
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Miguel Castro
•does that service actually work? seems kinda sketchy to me
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Connor Byrne
Something nobody has mentioned yet - there's a separate earnings test for survivor benefits if you're under FRA when you take them. So if you decide to take survivor benefits now at 64 instead of waiting, AND you're still working, you could have some of those benefits withheld too depending on your earnings. The earnings limits for 2025 are different than when you first applied. Just something to keep in mind when deciding when to switch.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Oh! I didn't even think about that. I do still work part-time (about 15 hours a week). Do you know what the earnings limit is for survivor benefits in 2025? Is it the same as the regular retirement benefit limit?
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Ava Martinez
•Yes, the earnings test applies the same way for both retirement and survivor benefits. For 2025, if you're under FRA, the limit is $23,400 (you lose $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above this). In the year you reach FRA, the limit is higher - $62,760 - and the reduction is only $1 for every $3 above the limit until the month you reach FRA. After FRA, there's no earnings test.
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StarSurfer
WAIT this is so confusing! Can someone just explain in simple terms - can she get the $6000 back or not???
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Dmitry Petrov
•In simple terms: 1. She can potentially get back some or all of the $6,000 by requesting an earnings test recalculation if her actual earnings were lower than estimated. This is separate from the automatic adjustment at FRA. 2. The automatic adjustment at FRA that increases monthly payments to make up for previously withheld amounts only applies if you stay on the same benefit type. Since she's switching to survivor benefits, this automatic adjustment won't happen. So she should definitely request the recalculation for immediate repayment rather than waiting for an adjustment that won't happen after switching benefit types.
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Miguel Castro
my mom went thru something like this and she just gave up trying to get her money back because the SSA people kept giving her different answers every time she called...the system is so broken
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Connor Byrne
•Unfortunately this happens too often. It's important to get information in writing whenever possible and to speak with a Technical Expert (TE) or Claims Specialist (CS) rather than a service representative for complex issues like this. When you call, specifically ask to speak with someone who specializes in earnings recalculations and benefit type switches.
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Dylan Mitchell
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to try to get through to SSA to request that earnings test recalculation. I had no idea I needed to specifically ask for this - I thought they would automatically adjust it based on my tax return. I'm also reconsidering my timeline for taking survivor benefits based on the earnings test information. One last question if anyone knows - is there a time limit for requesting the earnings recalculation? It's been almost 2 years since that initial withholding.
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Ava Martinez
•There's no specific time limit for requesting an earnings test recalculation, but I'd recommend doing it as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more complicated it can become to process. Bring or have ready your W-2s, tax returns, or self-employment tax documentation for the year in question when you contact them. And as someone else mentioned, try to speak with a Technical Expert or Claims Specialist rather than a regular service representative.
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