Will Social Security recalculate my benefits automatically after working part-year before claiming at 62?

Yes, the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount after they receive your W-2 information from the IRS, typically in the late summer or fall following the tax year. This is called an Automatic Earnings Recomputation Operation (AERO). You don't need to contact them or file anything special - just make sure you file your taxes normally. Any increase would be retroactive to January 2025, and you might get a small lump sum for the difference for the months before the adjustment is processed.

The Social Security Administration performs an Automatic Earnings Recomputation Operation (AERO) annually. This calculation usually happens in October of the year following your work year. So for your 2024 earnings, the recalculation would typically occur around October 2025. Keep in mind a few important details: 1. The increase isn't always significant - it depends on how your 2024 earnings compare to the earnings being replaced in your 35-year calculation 2. Any increase is effective January of the year after you earned the wages (so January 2025 for your 2024 work) 3. You don't need to request this - it's completely automatic once SSA receives your earnings information from IRS 4. You'll receive a letter notifying you of any change to your benefit amount If you don't receive any notification by December 2025, then you could contact SSA to inquire.

They SUPPOSEDLY do this auotmatically but when I stopped working in 2023 I never got any inrcease at all!!! Called SSA 4 times and everytime was on hold 2+ hours just to be told "its being processed" then got disconnected. SSA is a DISASTER and I'm STILL waiting for my recalculation. So dont trust the system to work right!!!

One important thing: the recalculation will only increase your benefit if those additional months of earnings in 2024 are high enough to replace lower-earning years in your 35-year calculation. If you already had 35 years of solid earnings, the impact might be minimal. But if those 8 months of 2024 were higher than some years in your calculation, you should see an increase. Also, the recalculation for earnings in the year you claim benefits sometimes takes longer to process than the standard AERO. If you haven't heard anything by December 2025, I'd suggest calling them to check.

WAIT everyone is saying it's automatic but my uncle had to go into the office and request a "re computation" specifically!!!!! They don't always do it rigjt!! He got back pay for 2 YEARS because they never did his automatically even though everyone says they do!!!!!

this stuff is so confusing lol...i just know they adjusted mine after i worked part time but it was like 9 bucks more. i didnt even know it was happening until i got the letter. i bet the longer u wait to claim the less these extra earnings matter right? cuz by then your 35 years are probably already your highest anyway

my neighbor said she got almost $50 more a month after her recalculation but i think she was still paying into social security for a pretty good job she had. my understanding is once they do the recalculation they will pay u the difference for the months that already passed that year. so if they adjust in october, they'll pay u the difference for jan-sept all at once

Just wanted to add that you should keep all your pay stubs and W-2 forms from 2024 handy, even though the process is automatic. I had a situation where my employer made an error on my W-2 and reported my wages incorrectly to SSA. When my recalculation didn't seem right, I was able to provide the correct documentation to get it fixed. It took a few extra months, but I eventually got the proper increase plus all the back pay. Also, if you have access to your online Social Security account at ssa.gov, you can check your earnings record periodically to make sure your 2024 wages show up correctly once they're posted. Better to catch any issues early than wait until the recalculation happens!

Great question! I'm in a similar situation - started collecting at 62 in July 2024 after working the first half of the year. From what I understand, the automatic recalculation (AERO) should definitely happen for your 2024 earnings, but it's reassuring to see all the detailed responses here about the timeline. The October 2025 timeframe mentioned makes sense since they need to get all the W-2 data from employers first. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here had experience with how the recalculation works if you had some months where you went over the earnings limit? I stayed under the annual limit but had a couple months early in the year where I might have been close to the monthly threshold. I'm hoping that doesn't complicate the automatic process, since those were before I started collecting anyway. It sounds like keeping good records and monitoring your online SSA account is key. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world info that's hard to find elsewhere!

As someone who went through this process a few years ago, I can confirm that the AERO system does work automatically in most cases, but it's definitely worth staying on top of it. I worked part-time after claiming at 62, and my recalculation happened right on schedule in October the following year. The increase was modest - about $23 per month - but every bit helps! One tip I'd add: if you move or change your address between now and when the recalculation happens, make sure SSA has your current address so you don't miss the notification letter. I almost missed mine because it went to my old address initially. Also, the retroactive payment really is nice - I got about $200 in back pay for the months between January and when the adjustment was processed. The key thing is that you did everything right by staying under the earnings limits after you started collecting. That shows you understand the system, so you shouldn't have any issues with the automatic recalculation for those pre-claiming months.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a very similar situation - claimed at 62 in late 2024 after working most of the year, and I've been wondering about this exact issue. It's really reassuring to see so many people confirm that the AERO process is automatic and typically happens in October of the following year. One thing I'm taking away from all these responses is the importance of keeping good records and checking my online SSA account regularly. I've been meticulous about tracking my part-time earnings to stay under the monthly limit, but I hadn't thought about monitoring whether my 2024 W-2 information gets properly recorded in the system. The variation in people's experiences is interesting too - some getting small increases like $9-23 per month, others getting $50+. I guess it really depends on how your recent earnings compare to your lowest years in that 35-year calculation. Since I had a few years with lower earnings earlier in my career, I'm cautiously optimistic that my 2024 wages might make a meaningful difference. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice - this community is incredibly valuable for navigating all these Social Security complexities!

I'm also new to this community and going through a very similar situation! I claimed benefits at 62 in August 2024 after working full-time for the first 7 months of the year, and like many others here, I've been carefully staying under the monthly earnings limit with part-time work since then. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the AERO process and the October 2025 timeline. I had no idea this recalculation was automatic, so that's a huge relief! I was starting to wonder if I needed to file some kind of paperwork. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned - does anyone know if the recalculation considers just the wages, or does it also factor in any bonuses or overtime pay from those months before claiming? I had a pretty good bonus in March 2024 that was included in my W-2, so I'm hoping that gets counted in the calculation too. It's really encouraging to see the range of experiences people have shared, from modest increases to more substantial ones. Given that I had a few zero-earning years when I was out of the workforce caring for family, I'm optimistic that my 2024 earnings will help bump up my monthly benefit at least somewhat. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences - this thread has answered so many questions I didn't even know I should be asking!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful! I'm in a very similar situation - I claimed at 62 in November 2024 after working the first 10 months of the year, and I've been wondering about exactly this issue. Reading through everyone's experiences with the AERO process has been so reassuring. I had no idea it was automatic or that it typically happens in October of the following year. I was starting to worry I'd need to file additional paperwork or make phone calls to SSA (which, based on some of the experiences shared here, sounds like a nightmare!). What I'm finding particularly valuable is all the practical advice about keeping records and monitoring the online SSA account. I just created my account last week but haven't fully explored it yet. It sounds like I should be checking periodically to make sure my 2024 earnings get recorded correctly once the W-2 data comes through. Like several others mentioned, I had some lower-earning years earlier in my career, so I'm cautiously optimistic that my 2024 wages will replace at least one of those years and provide a modest bump to my monthly benefit. Even a small increase would be meaningful. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and advice - this kind of real-world knowledge is exactly what newcomers like me need to navigate these complex Social Security processes!

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been through the AERO process myself, I can confirm that most of what's been shared here is accurate. The automatic recalculation really does happen, typically in October of the year following your work year. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much is that you might want to keep an eye on your Social Security statement around that time. Sometimes the increase is so modest (mine was only $14/month) that people don't even notice it unless they're specifically looking. But even small increases add up over time, especially when you consider the annual cost-of-living adjustments are applied to the higher base amount. Also, since you were so diligent about tracking your earnings to stay under the monthly limits after claiming, you're clearly on top of things. That attention to detail will serve you well in monitoring the recalculation process. The fact that you had some really good income those first 8 months before claiming should definitely help your case for a meaningful adjustment. Don't stress about it - just file your taxes normally and let the system do its work. You should hear something by late 2025, and any increase will be retroactive to January 2025. Good luck!

Welcome to the community! As someone who's relatively new to Social Security myself, I found this thread incredibly informative. I'm in a somewhat different situation - I haven't claimed yet but am planning to at 62 next year - and reading about the AERO process has been really eye-opening. What strikes me most is how automatic this recalculation is supposed to be, yet there seem to be enough cases where people had to follow up or encountered issues that it's worth staying vigilant. The advice about keeping detailed records, monitoring your online SSA account, and being patient with the October timeline seems solid. For those of you who are going through this process, it sounds like you're all doing the right things by tracking your earnings carefully and staying under the monthly limits. The fact that so many of you had lower-earning years earlier in your careers that can potentially be replaced by these 2024 earnings is encouraging - even modest increases can be meaningful over time. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and practical advice. This is exactly the kind of real-world information that helps people navigate these complex Social Security rules with confidence!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion about the AERO process! I'm in a similar situation - claimed at 62 in October 2024 after working full-time for 9 months, and I've been wondering about this exact issue. What I find most reassuring is hearing from so many people who've actually been through this process. The automatic nature of the recalculation was completely new to me - I was starting to worry I'd need to file additional paperwork or navigate those notoriously long SSA phone wait times! The practical advice about keeping detailed records and monitoring the online SSA account is invaluable. I just set up my ssa.gov account but haven't really explored it much yet. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like I should start checking periodically to ensure my 2024 earnings get recorded correctly once the W-2 data comes through. Like many others here, I had some lower-earning years earlier in my career due to time out of the workforce for family care, so I'm cautiously optimistic that my 2024 wages will replace at least one of those years. Even a modest increase would be meaningful on a fixed income. The October 2025 timeline and retroactive payment back to January 2025 are details I never would have known without this discussion. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this kind of real-world knowledge is exactly what newcomers like me need to navigate these Social Security complexities with confidence!

I'm new to this community and going through almost the exact same situation! I claimed at 62 in December 2024 after working full-time for the first 11 months of the year, and I've been so worried about whether I'd get credit for those earnings. This thread has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea about the AERO process being automatic! Reading everyone's experiences has answered so many questions I didn't even know I had. The October 2025 timeline makes perfect sense since they need to get all the W-2 data first, and knowing about the retroactive payments back to January 2025 is such a relief. I was making really good money those 11 months before claiming, so I'm cautiously optimistic it will replace some of my lower-earning years from when I was starting out in my career. The advice about keeping detailed records and monitoring the online SSA account is so valuable. I just created my account but haven't explored it much yet - sounds like I need to start checking periodically to make sure my 2024 earnings show up correctly. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences. This community is amazing for breaking down these complex Social Security processes into understandable information. It's so much better than trying to figure this out from official SSA publications alone!