Will Social Security still reduce my survivors benefit after FRA if I'm working? Can I get deductions refunded?

Good questions about survivor benefits! Once you reach your Full Retirement Age, the earnings test no longer applies - so they will NOT reduce your survivors benefit regardless of how much you earn from working. This is a nice advantage of reaching FRA. As for getting back money that was previously withheld due to the earnings test, SSA will recalculate your benefit and give you credit for the months your benefits were withheld or reduced. This doesn't come as a lump sum repayment, but rather as a permanent increase to your monthly benefit amount going forward after FRA. Hope that helps with your planning!

my mother in law went thru this exact thing!! they definitely stop taking $ out once u hit FRA no matter how much u make. she was SO happy when that happened last yr. but she never got a lump sum of what they took b4. i think they just adjust something with your benefit going forward?? not sure exactly how that works tbh

The previous responses are partially correct, but I want to clarify something important. When you reach FRA, SSA will recalculate your benefit and give you credit for months when benefits were completely withheld due to work. This is called an "adjustment to the reduction factor" (ARF). However, they do NOT give you credit for partial reductions - only for complete months where you received zero benefits due to earnings. Also, this recalculation only applies to early retirement reductions, not earnings test withholdings. So you may see a small increase at FRA, but you won't get back everything that was withheld.

im in almost the same boat!! started my survivors at 63 and they take so much out cuz i still work its barely worth getting. but i heard that when u hit FRA they STOP taking out the money and they ADD BACK some amount to make up for it. not exactly what they took but something. better than nothing i guess!!

The entire earnings test is SO UNFAIR!! The government takes OUR money that WE earned just because we choose to keep working?? And then they don't even fully pay us back?! I've been fighting with SSA for MONTHS about this exact issue. They took nearly $8000 from my survivor benefits last year because I made too much. Called repeatedly and either got disconnected or told different things by different reps. This system punishes people who work hard!

If you're struggling to get accurate information from SSA about your specific situation (which can be complicated with survivor benefits and the earnings test), I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that can help you actually reach a live SSA agent without the endless hold times. I was dealing with similar questions about my survivor benefits and kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. Used their service and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes who explained everything clearly. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or check out claimyr.com. Honestly saved me days of frustration.

To add some specifics that might help your decision: When you claim survivors benefits at 64, they'll be reduced by about 14.7% from what you'd receive at your FRA. Then, while working, you'll lose $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the annual exempt amount ($22,320 in 2025). After FRA, the earnings test disappears completely. As for budgeting, you should weigh these reductions against what you'd gain by waiting. The advantage of taking survivors benefits early while working is that it allows you to delay claiming your own retirement benefit, which can grow by 8% per year until age 70. This strategy often yields higher lifetime benefits for widows/widowers with their own work history.

just want 2 add something i just remembered - my friend tried to talk to SS about this and they told her something about a "special monthly rule" for the year u start benefits or the year u retire. has anybuddy heard of this? something about if u make under a certain amount in a month they might not take out $ even if ur yearly income is over the limit??

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I think I'm going to go ahead with my plan to claim survivors benefits at 64 while continuing to work, understanding that: 1) Yes, they'll reduce my benefit now due to early claiming and the earnings test 2) The earnings test will completely disappear at my FRA 3) I'll get some adjustment at FRA for completely withheld months, but not a full payback 4) I can let my own retirement benefit grow until 70 which might be the better long-term strategy I really appreciate all the insights and personal experiences shared here. Social Security decisions are so complicated, and it helps to hear from others who've been through it!

Great summary of your plan! Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your budgeting - make sure to factor in that your survivor benefits will be subject to federal income tax if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits) exceeds certain thresholds. Since you're continuing to work full-time, you'll likely hit those thresholds. This doesn't change the math much, but it's good to plan for the tax implications when budgeting for the next few years. The earnings test and tax on benefits are separate issues that both affect your net income from Social Security.