Will Social Security automatically recalculate my benefits after working during retirement in 2023?

You're right that SSA should automatically recalculate your benefit to include your 2023 earnings, but there's a timeline to it. Typically, this recalculation (called an Automatic Earnings Recomputation or AERO) happens in the fall of the year AFTER you worked. So your 2023 earnings would normally be processed in late 2024, with any increase being paid starting in January 2025. The fact that you haven't seen an increase by mid-2025 is concerning. I'd definitely recommend contacting SSA at this point to inquire about your AERO calculation. They should be able to tell you if it's in process or if there was an issue.

Same thing happened with my husband!!! His increase never came through until he called them. Some glitch in there system probably. They mess up EVERYTHING!!

I'd definitely call SSA about this. The AERO process (Automatic Earnings Recomputation) should have happened by now. When it's processed, you should get retroactive payments back to January of the year after the earnings posted (so January 2024 in your case). Make sure you have your 2023 W-2 or self-employment tax forms handy when you call. They might ask you to verify that your earnings were properly posted to your record. One thing to consider - if 2023 wasn't one of your highest 35 years of earnings (adjusted for inflation), it wouldn't increase your benefit. But SSA should still have processed the recalculation and determined this.

Not to hijack but sorta similar question - if I work after full retirement age do they still do this recalculation thing? I thought once you hit FRA there's no earnings limit anyway?

I went through this exact situation last year. Called and called SSA but could never get through - constant busy signals and disconnects. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 20 minutes. The agent confirmed my recalculation was stuck in processing and fixed it on the spot. Worth checking out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're tired of trying to get through to SSA. Saved me weeks of frustration.

It's entirely possible your 2023 earnings simply didn't increase your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). The calculation is quite complex, but essentially: 1. SSA takes your 35 highest earning years (adjusted for inflation) 2. Averages those earnings to get your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings) 3. Applies a formula to your AIME to determine your PIA If your 2023 earnings didn't replace one of your 35 highest years, there would be no change to your benefit amount. However, SSA should still have performed the calculation. Another possibility is that your earnings weren't properly reported. I'd recommend checking your earnings record on my.ssa.gov to verify your 2023 income appears correctly. If there's a discrepancy, you'll need to provide proof of income to SSA.

My sister had 2 wait almost 2 YEARS for her recalculation!!!!! The SSA is so behind on everything. good luck getting anyone on the phone also lol

did you work alot in 2023? cause if you made more than the limit they might of took some of your ss away so maybe there's no increase coming

Just to follow up on your question about retroactive payments - yes, if your benefit increases due to the AERO recalculation, you should receive retroactive payments back to January 2024. This is different from the retroactive benefits some people get when they first file. For AERO recalculations, the increase is effective January of the year following the year you worked (so January 2024 for your 2023 work), and paid once the recalculation is complete. Definitely call them to check on this. They're required to perform this calculation, but sometimes things fall through the cracks.

UPDATE: I called SSA this morning and after an hour on hold (!!) finally spoke with someone. Turns out my recalculation WAS done in late 2024 but they found my 2023 earnings didn't increase my benefit enough to make a difference. The agent said it was literally a few cents below the threshold where they would apply an increase. So frustrating that they didn't bother to send any notification! But at least I know now. Thanks everyone for your help!