Will Social Security automatically adjust my benefits after working beyond early retirement?

Yes, this is absolutely true! SSA calls this a benefit recomputation. Basically, if you continue working after you've started receiving retirement benefits, SSA will automatically check your record each year to see if your additional earnings would increase your monthly benefit amount. If your recent earnings are higher than one of your previous 35 highest years of earnings that were used to calculate your benefit, they'll substitute the higher amount and recalculate your benefit. The adjustment is automatic - typically happens around October of the following year once all your earnings information has been processed.

The SSA DOES NOT automatically adjust anything!!!!! I worked for 3 years after taking early retirement and my benefit never changed by one penny. I had to go into the local office and FIGHT with them to get them to recalculate my benefit. Brought all my W2s and tax returns and they kept saying "the system does it automatically" but guess what - it DIDN'T. Finally got a supervisor who figured out the problem and I got a backpay check for almost $2,900 for all the adjustments they never made. Don't trust the system to work right!!!

I'm in almost the exact same boat as you! Started at 63.5, kept working part-time under the limit, and just hit my FRA in December. My sister-in-law who used to work for SSA told me they do these recalculations automatically once a year, usually in the fall. I haven't seen any adjustment yet but I'm expecting one this October based on my 2024 earnings.

My situation was similar to yours. I took SS at 62 and continued working part-time. The adjustment process is called an Automatic Earnings Reappraisal Operation (AERO). SSA runs these calculations automatically every year, usually completing them in October. Here's what you should know: - The recalculation happens automatically based on your earnings reported to the IRS - You don't need to request it - Any increase is retroactive to January of the year it's processed - The adjustment only happens if your recent earnings are high enough to replace one of your 35 highest earning years used in your original calculation I saw my first adjustment about 18 months after I started benefits. It wasn't huge (about $28/month), but it's permanent and adds up over time. If you want to check if you should expect an adjustment, look at your earnings history on mySocialSecurity and see if your recent part-time earnings are replacing any lower years.

If anyone's trying to contact SSA about recalculations or other benefit questions, I'd strongly recommend using Claimyr to get through to an agent quickly. I kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours when trying to call about my own recomputation question. Used their service at claimyr.com and they got me connected to an SSA agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Saved me literally hours of frustration.

u dont need 2 do anything they do it all 4 u. my dad got like 3 raises after he retired cuz he kept working at walmart. they just show up in ur check one day

What's interesting is that these recalculations are affected by how much you were making before. I worked part-time after taking SS at 63 but since I was only making about $12k a year, it wasn't enough to replace any of my previous 35 highest years when I was making $50k+. So I never saw any increases. I think you need to be making at least close to what you were making before to see any meaningful adjustment.

I just remembered something else - if you've been getting statements in the mail or checking your mySocialSecurity account, you might see an estimate that says what your benefit would be if you stopped working now. That estimate doesn't actually reflect any recalculations, it's just showing what you'd get if you applied today. The actual AERO adjustment is separate from that estimate.

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - the timing of when you see these adjustments can vary quite a bit. While SSA typically processes AERO calculations in the fall, I've seen cases where people get their adjustment letters anywhere from September through December. Also, if there's any discrepancy in your earnings records (like if your employer was late reporting wages), it can delay the whole process. I'd recommend keeping copies of your pay stubs and W-2s just in case you need to provide documentation later. The adjustment will be retroactive to January regardless of when you actually receive the notice, so you'll get any back pay owed.

This is such helpful information, everyone! I'm in a similar situation - started benefits at 62 and have been working part-time since. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the system is supposed to work automatically but doesn't always. I think I'll take the advice about keeping good records of my earnings and checking my mySocialSecurity account regularly. Has anyone found it helpful to set a reminder to check for adjustments around October each year? Also wondering if there's a specific page or section in the online account where these adjustments would show up, or if it just appears as a change in your monthly benefit amount?

I want to add something important that might help others in similar situations. While the automatic recalculation (AERO) is supposed to happen every year, there's actually a minimum threshold for increases. SSA won't process an adjustment unless it results in at least a $1 increase in your monthly benefit. So even if your recent earnings are slightly higher than one of your previous 35 years, you might not see any change if the recalculation doesn't meet that minimum. Also, for those who started benefits early like we did, remember that any increase from additional earnings is still subject to the same early retirement reduction factor that was applied to your original benefit. So you won't get the full value of the increase - it gets reduced by the same percentage. Still worth it though, since it's a permanent increase that compounds with COLAs over time. I'd suggest keeping a simple spreadsheet with your annual earnings since starting benefits, just to track whether you're likely to see adjustments. It's been helpful for me to manage expectations and know when to follow up if something seems off.

This has been such an informative discussion! As someone who just started collecting at 63 last year and is still working part-time, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. I had no idea about the $1 minimum threshold or that the early retirement reduction would still apply to any increases. One question I haven't seen addressed - does anyone know if there's a limit to how many times they can do these recalculations? Like if I continue working for several more years, will they keep checking annually, or is there a cutoff point? Also wondering if the process changes at all once you hit age 70, since that's when delayed retirement credits max out (though I know that doesn't apply to those of us who started early). I'm definitely going to start that spreadsheet tracking system and set up an October reminder. Better to be prepared and understand the process than to be caught off guard either way!

I'm new to this community but found this discussion incredibly helpful as I'm facing a similar situation. I claimed benefits at 63 and have been working part-time since. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) SSA should automatically recalculate benefits annually through AERO, typically in fall, 2) but the system doesn't always work perfectly so it's important to keep good records and monitor your account, 3) increases only happen if new earnings replace one of your lowest 35 years AND result in at least $1 monthly increase, and 4) any increase is still subject to the early retirement reduction. I'm particularly grateful for the spreadsheet tracking suggestion and the October reminder tip. It's reassuring to know that recalculations can continue indefinitely as long as you're working and paying into the system. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this kind of practical insight is so much more valuable than just reading the official SSA publications!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a very similar situation - started collecting at 63 and 8 months, been working part-time since then, and just hit my FRA last month. Reading everyone's experiences really clarifies how the AERO process is supposed to work versus how it actually works in practice. A few things I'm taking away: I need to start keeping better records of my earnings, set up that October reminder to check for adjustments, and not assume the system will work perfectly. The point about the $1 minimum threshold and early retirement reduction still applying to increases is particularly valuable - I hadn't considered either of those factors. One additional thought for others in our situation: I've been using the SSA's online earnings history to estimate whether my recent part-time work might replace any of my lower earning years from the 1980s and early 1990s. Even at part-time wages, some of those early career years were pretty low, so there's a decent chance I'll see some modest adjustments over the next few years. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - both the success stories and the cautionary tales about having to advocate for proper recalculations. This kind of peer insight is invaluable!

This has been such an educational thread! I'm in a nearly identical situation - started benefits at 63 and 10 months and have been working part-time since. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is how important it is to be proactive rather than just trusting the system will work perfectly. I'm definitely going to implement several of the suggestions here: keeping detailed records of my earnings, setting up that October reminder to check for adjustments, and using my online earnings history to identify which of my lower earning years from the 1980s might be replaceable. One thing that gives me confidence is hearing from multiple people who have successfully received these automatic adjustments, even if the timing and process isn't always smooth. The fact that any increases are permanent and compound with future COLAs makes it worthwhile to stay on top of this. Thanks to everyone who shared both their success stories and the cautionary tales about having to advocate with SSA when the system doesn't work as intended. This kind of real-world insight from people who've actually navigated this process is incredibly valuable!

This has been an incredibly comprehensive discussion! As someone who's considering when to start my Social Security benefits, reading through everyone's real-world experiences with AERO has been eye-opening. I had no idea about the complexity involved in these recalculations or the potential issues with the automatic system. The practical advice here is gold - keeping detailed earnings records, setting October reminders to check for adjustments, using the online earnings history to identify potentially replaceable low-earning years, and understanding that the $1 minimum threshold and early retirement reduction factors still apply to any increases. What strikes me most is the consistency of everyone's situations - many of you started benefits around 63-64 and continued part-time work, which seems to be a common strategy. The mixed experiences with SSA's automatic system (some seamless, others requiring advocacy) really reinforces the importance of staying vigilant and keeping good documentation. For those still working after claiming early benefits, this thread seems like it should be required reading! The combination of technical knowledge about how AERO works with real stories from people who've navigated the process successfully provides such valuable insight that you simply can't get from official SSA publications alone.

As someone who works in benefits administration (not SSA, but familiar with these systems), I wanted to add a technical perspective that might help explain some of the inconsistencies people have experienced with AERO processing. The automatic recalculation system relies on wage data matching between SSA records and IRS/employer reporting. Sometimes delays or discrepancies in this data flow can cause the AERO process to skip a year or miscalculate. This is especially common if: - Your employer was late submitting wage reports - There were corrections to your W-2 after initial filing - You had multiple employers and one report was delayed - Your name or SSN had any variations in reporting This explains why some people like Mia had to manually intervene while others see seamless automatic adjustments. The system works well when data flows cleanly, but any hiccup can derail the process. My recommendation: In addition to the excellent tracking advice already given, if you don't see an expected adjustment by December, don't wait months to follow up. The sooner you catch a missed recalculation, the easier it is to resolve and the more backpay you'll receive. Also, keep digital copies of ALL pay stubs and tax documents - not just W-2s. Sometimes SSA needs to verify specific pay periods to resolve discrepancies in their automated processing.

This entire discussion has been incredibly enlightening! I'm a newcomer to this community and found myself in a very similar situation to many of you - I started collecting Social Security at 63 and 6 months and have been working part-time ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences with AERO has given me such a clearer picture of what to expect and how to be proactive about monitoring my situation. The practical advice shared here is invaluable: keeping detailed earnings records, setting October reminders to check for adjustments, using the online earnings history to identify low-earning years that might be replaced, and understanding the $1 minimum threshold and early retirement reduction factors. I had no idea about many of these nuances before reading this thread. What really stands out is how the system is designed to work automatically but doesn't always function perfectly in practice. The technical explanation from Jason about data flow issues between SSA, IRS, and employers really helps explain why some people have seamless experiences while others need to advocate for themselves. I'm going to implement several strategies from this discussion: start that tracking spreadsheet, keep digital copies of all pay documentation, and be prepared to follow up if I don't see expected adjustments by December. It's reassuring to know that even if issues arise, they can be resolved with proper documentation and persistence. Thank you to everyone who shared both their success stories and challenges - this kind of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing is exactly what makes communities like this so valuable!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough discussion! I'm in a very similar situation - started collecting at 63 and 9 months and have been working part-time since. This thread has been more educational than anything I've found in official SSA materials. The key insights I'm taking away are: the AERO system should work automatically but requires monitoring, keeping detailed records is essential, and understanding the technical reasons why the system sometimes fails (thanks Jason!) helps explain the mixed experiences people have had. I'm particularly interested in the spreadsheet tracking idea and the suggestion to review earnings history to identify which low years from the 80s/90s might be replaceable with current part-time earnings. For those who've done this analysis, roughly what percentage of your lowest earning years have you found could potentially be replaced by modest part-time income today? Also wondering - has anyone found it helpful to create a simple checklist for the October review process? I'm thinking something like: check payment history, review benefit summary, compare to tracking spreadsheet, and follow up by December if something seems off. Would love to hear if others have developed similar systematic approaches to staying on top of this!