Will income affect my ex-spouse Social Security benefits at 63? Confused about earnings limit

Yes, you will be subject to the earnings limit if you claim ANY Social Security benefits before your Full Retirement Age (FRA). For 2025, if you earn over $22,500, SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. Since you're making $45,000, that's $22,500 over the limit, so they'd withhold about $11,250 in benefits for the year. Also, the "file on ex-spouse now, switch to your own later" strategy (called restricted application) is no longer available for anyone born after January 1, 1954. When you file for any benefit now, you're deemed to be filing for all benefits you're eligible for, and you'll get the higher of the two amounts.

I was in almost the exact same situation a few years ago! I tried claiming on my ex's record at 62 while still working part-time, and it was a DISASTER. SSA took back almost everything because of that stupid earnings limit. I had to pay back thousands and it was a paperwork nightmare. If you're making $45k, you'll lose most of those ex-spouse benefits anyway, so it might not be worth the hassle. The only way around this is to wait until your Full Retirement Age (which is probably 66 and some months for you). Once you hit FRA, the earnings test goes away completely and you can earn as much as you want with no penalty.

I'm going through this exact situation right now! Are you me? Lol! I just turned 64, was married 22 years, and decided to claim on my ex's record while still working. Just wanted to share my experience from the past 8 months. First, it took FOREVER to get an appointment with SSA. I tried calling for 3 weeks straight and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to a real person at SSA to schedule my appointment. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU After I finally got an appointment, they explained everything about the earnings test. I decided to go ahead anyway since my ex had a much higher earning record. Just be prepared that with your income, they'll withhold a significant portion of your benefits until you reach your full retirement age.

just waite until FRA!! not worth the hassel otherwise. i cleamd early and regert it. they took most of it back anyway cuz i was working

Let me clarify some important points about ex-spouse benefits and the earnings test: 1. The earnings test applies to ALL benefits before FRA, including ex-spouse benefits. The 2025 limit of $22,500 means you'd lose approximately $11,250 of benefits based on your $45,000 income. 2. Once you reach your Full Retirement Age (likely 66 and 6-10 months based on your current age), the earnings test disappears completely. 3. If you claim now, you're deemed to be filing for ALL benefits - both your own retirement and the ex-spouse benefit. You'll receive the higher of the two amounts. 4. If your own benefit at 70 would be higher than the ex-spouse benefit, it might make sense to wait until then to file. Ex-spouse benefits max out at your FRA (they don't grow after that). 5. Remember that ex-spouse benefits are up to 50% of your ex's FRA benefit amount, not what he's actually receiving. Given your income level, waiting until at least FRA would save you from the complications of the earnings test.

My sister went through something like this. She was still working at 64 and tried to claim on her ex's record. SSA ended up taking most of it back because of her earnings. It created a lot of confusion with her taxes too. Just something else to consider.

Another important factor to consider: If you wait until your Full Retirement Age, you can file a "restricted application" for just the ex-spouse benefit IF you were born before January 2, 1954. This would allow you to collect 50% of your ex's benefit while letting your own benefit continue to grow until age 70. However, if you were born on or after January 2, 1954, this option isn't available due to the 2015 budget changes. In that case, you're deemed to be filing for all available benefits whenever you file. Based on your age (63), you were likely born in 1961-1962, so unfortunately the restricted application wouldn't be available to you.

Something else to think about - have you checked what your own benefit would be compared to the ex-spouse benefit? If your own work record is strong, the ex-spouse benefit (which is capped at 50% of his FRA amount) might not even be higher than your own. You can check this on the MySocialSecurity portal online. In my case, I was surprised to find my own benefit was actually higher than what I'd get from my ex's record, even though he earned more than me, because I worked consistently for 40+ years while he had some gaps in his work history.

dose anyone no if the $22,500 limit is for the hole year or monthly? like what if you only work part of the year?

After dealing with my own situation, here's my practical advice: wait until your Full Retirement Age if you can. The earnings test is just the first complication - there's also the tax implications (up to 85% of SS benefits can be taxable depending on your income) plus the administrative headache if they need to recover overpayments. If you absolutely need the money now, then it might be worth claiming despite the reductions. But if you can hold out another 3-4 years until your FRA, you'll save yourself a lot of paperwork and potentially get more money overall.

my neighbor tried doing what ur talking about and ended up owing ssa money at the end of the year!!! be careful cuz they don't always explain everything up front!!