Will SS reduce my benefits if I slightly exceed earnings limit while collecting early Social Security?

The SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the annual limit. If you're only slightly over, they won't suspend your benefits completely - they'll just reduce them proportionally. For example, if you go over by $1,200, they'll withhold $600 from your future payments. They usually don't make you pay back what you've already received; instead, they'll adjust future payments. You might see reduced or withheld checks in the early months of 2026 until the overage is accounted for. I had this exact situation last year - went over by about $3K and they just withheld one month of payments.

Same thing happened to me last year and it was a total NIGHTMARE dealing with SSA!! They suddenly stopped my payments without any warning and it took 4 months to get everything straightened out!! The earnings limit is a TRAP - they don't tell you that they'll take back WAY more than you think!! WATCH OUT!

I think u can just ask ur employer for a ytd earnings statement? that would tell u exactly where ur at. my sister had this problem to and she just asked her HR and they printed it out for her.

I'm a benefits counselor, and I can clarify a few things. The 2025 earnings limit for someone collecting before FRA is $22,320. If you exceed this, SSA will withhold $1 for every $2 over the limit. Here's what actually happens: Around April-May 2026, when most W-2s are processed, SSA will receive your earnings record from IRS. If you exceeded the limit, they'll send you a notice explaining the overpayment and how they'll adjust future benefits. They typically don't demand immediate repayment of past benefits. For small overages, the adjustment is often spread across several months. For example, if they need to withhold $800, they might reduce your monthly benefit by $200 for four months rather than completely withholding one payment. My advice: Keep track of your earnings as best you can. If you're very concerned, consider asking your employer to defer any year-end bonus to January if possible.

My husband went through this exact thing!! He was so worried but it was actually no big deal. They took about half of one check the next year and that was it. Don't stress about a small amount over the limit.

This whole earnings limit thing is so confusing. I'm turning 62 next year and planning to start collecting while still working part-time. Does anyone know if they count gross income or net income after deductions? Do 401k contributions count toward the limit? What about health insurance premiums that are taken out pre-tax?

After trying to call SSA for weeks about a similar issue (kept getting disconnected or waiting 3+ hours), I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They connected me directly to SSA and I was able to get my earnings questions answered quickly. Their demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU shows how it works. Totally worth it for me because I needed specific information about my situation. The agent explained exactly how they would calculate any adjustment if I went over the limit.

I remember when i was working part time at walmart and collecting early SS i was so scared about going over the limit that i asked my manager to cut my hours in december lol. turns out i was way under anyway and could have worked more. dont be like me and panic too early!

One important thing to remember is that the earnings limit rule changes in the year you reach Full Retirement Age. For the months before your FRA in that year, the limit is higher ($59,520 for 2025) and the withholding is only $1 for every $3 over the limit. Then once you reach FRA, there's no earnings limit at all. So if you're concerned about working and earning too much, this might be something to plan for as you get closer to your FRA.