Will my 16-year-old's job affect Social Security survivor benefits? Impact on siblings' amounts?

my teenager worked last summer and it did affect her survivor benefits. SSA has an earnings limit even for kids. i think its around $22k per year now? not sure exactly. but unless your kid is making serious money it prob wont matter.

To give you the correct information: Yes, there is an earnings limit that applies to anyone receiving Social Security benefits before full retirement age, including minor children receiving survivor benefits. For 2025, that annual limit is $23,400. Earnings above that amount would reduce benefits by $1 for every $2 earned over the limit. However, your 16-year-old working part-time at minimum wage is unlikely to approach this limit. The important thing to understand is that ONLY his benefits would be affected if he exceeds the earnings limit - it would NOT impact what your other children receive. Any reduction in his benefits would NOT be redistributed to your other children. You do need to report any significant earnings to SSA. It's always better to be proactive rather than having them discover it later during a review, which could result in an overpayment notice.

I should clarify that the earnings limit applies differently for survivors versus retirement benefits. For child survivors receiving benefits based on a deceased parent's record, only the CHILD'S OWN earnings matter - not the surviving parent's earnings. If your child is working part-time and earning less than the annual limit (which at minimum wage and part-time hours, they almost certainly are), then there's no impact on their benefits. You only need to be concerned if they start earning substantial income approaching that $23,400 annual limit.

I went through this exact situation with my son last year. He started working at 17 while receiving survivor benefits from his dad. The local SSA office told me we needed to report his earnings quarterly if he was going to make more than about $1950 per month (which translates to that annual limit others mentioned). One thing NO ONE mentioned - even if your kid doesn't hit the yearly limit, if they earn more than the monthly limit in ANY month, benefits can be withheld for that specific month. So summer jobs where they work full-time hours can sometimes trigger this even if their annual earnings are low. And no, if one child's benefits are reduced, the others don't get more. Each child's benefit is calculated separately.

hi my kids get survivors benefits too and i asked about this at the ssa office when my daughter got a job at the mall. they said don't worry about it unless shes making like $1900 a month or something? minimum wage job isnt gonna hit that so ur probably fine. but if ur still worried just call them and ask

@OP - I had to call them to report earnings, but could never get through! Spent HOURS on hold only to get disconnected. Finally I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Worth it to get this sorted properly. The agent I spoke with was able to set up quarterly reporting for my son's earnings and explained exactly what documentation we needed to keep. Definitely better than worrying about it or risking an overpayment letter later!

My nieghbor's kid had his benefits COMPLETELY CUT OFF because he didn't report his summer job earnings!!! They made them pay back like $4000! BE CAREFUL and report EVERYTHING!!!

btw if your kids are getting survivors benefits make sure you keep that money separate from your own!! my sister got in trouble for using her kids survivor money to pay household bills. ssa says that money is only for the kids expenses.

To address your specific questions: 1. Yes, earnings from employment can affect survivor benefits, regardless of age. However, the 2025 annual earnings limit is $23,400, which a 16-year-old working part-time is unlikely to exceed. 2. If your son's benefits are reduced due to his earnings, that money is NOT redistributed to your other children. Each child's benefit is calculated independently based on the deceased parent's record. 3. You should report significant changes in earnings to SSA. For a teenager with a part-time job, you can typically report this at your annual review or if you anticipate earnings approaching the limit. 4. As mentioned by another commenter, be aware of the monthly earnings limit too (approximately $1,950 for 2025). Summer jobs with full-time hours could potentially trigger this even if annual earnings remain below the yearly limit. Encouraging your son to work is generally positive for his development, and at typical part-time teenage wages, the impact on benefits should be minimal or none.

One thing I want to add that might be helpful - when your son does start working, make sure he saves his pay stubs and W-2 forms. If SSA ever does a review (which they do periodically), having all the documentation organized will make the process much smoother. Also, since he's 16, this is actually a great opportunity to teach him about taxes and benefits - he'll need to understand how his earnings might affect things as he gets older and potentially transitions off survivor benefits. The work experience will be valuable for him regardless of any minor impact on benefits!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation about 5 years ago. My son started working at 16 while receiving survivor benefits after his father passed. The key thing that helped me was setting up a simple spreadsheet to track his monthly earnings - just hours worked times hourly wage. This made it super easy to see if he was approaching either the monthly limit (~$1,950) or staying on track for the annual limit. One tip: talk to his employer about scheduling. Most managers are understanding when you explain the situation and can help ensure he doesn't accidentally work too many hours in a single month during busy periods like holidays. My son's manager at the movie theater was really accommodating about this. The work experience ended up being incredibly valuable for him - not just the money, but learning responsibility, time management, and job skills. Don't let the benefits concern stop you from encouraging this! At typical part-time teenage wages, the impact is usually minimal, and the life skills he'll gain are worth so much more.

I'm in a very similar situation with my 17-year-old who receives survivor benefits and wants to work at Target this summer. After reading through all these responses, I feel much more confident about letting her take the job. One thing I wanted to add is that you might want to consider having your son open his own checking account if he doesn't already have one. When I spoke with our bank about this, they mentioned that having the survivor benefit payments and work earnings in separate accounts can help with record-keeping and make it easier to show SSA that the benefit money is being used appropriately for your child's needs. Plus it's another good life skill for him to learn about managing his own money. The consensus here seems to be that a typical part-time job won't cause issues with benefits, and the work experience is definitely worth it!

I'm glad you asked this question because I was in the exact same boat two years ago! My 16-year-old started working at a local restaurant while receiving survivor benefits after my husband passed. I was terrified about calling SSA too, but it turned out my worries were mostly unfounded. Here's what I learned: the annual earnings limit for 2025 is $23,400, and there's also a monthly limit of about $1,950. Your son would need to work A LOT of hours at minimum wage to hit either of these limits with a typical part-time job. My daughter worked 15-20 hours per week and earned maybe $6,000 for the whole year - nowhere near the limit. The most important thing is to keep good records of his earnings (pay stubs, hours worked) just in case. And yes, if his benefits were reduced, it wouldn't increase what your other kids get - each child's benefit is separate. Honestly, the work experience has been so valuable for my daughter. She's learned responsibility, time management, and has some spending money of her own. I say let him take the job - the benefits of working far outweigh any small risk to his SSA payments at typical teenage wages. You've got this!

I just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm in a similar situation with my 15-year-old who will be turning 16 soon and wants to get a job. Reading through everyone's experiences has really eased my anxiety about this. A few key takeaways that stood out to me: keeping detailed records is crucial, the earnings limits are pretty reasonable for typical part-time teenage work, and the work experience itself is incredibly valuable. I especially appreciated the suggestions about separate bank accounts and talking to employers about scheduling constraints. One question I still have - for those who have reported earnings to SSA, do you report them quarterly or just annually? And has anyone had experience with what happens when your child turns 18 and potentially transitions off survivor benefits? I'm trying to plan ahead since that milestone is approaching in a couple years. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences. This community is such a great resource for navigating these complex situations!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! My 16-year-old has been asking about getting a summer job, and I've been hesitant because we also receive survivor benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so enlightening. What really stands out to me is how consistent the advice has been - the earnings limits are reasonable for typical part-time teenage work, and the benefits (no pun intended) of work experience far outweigh the small risk to SSA payments. I especially appreciate the practical tips about record-keeping, separate bank accounts, and communicating with employers about scheduling. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone dealt with seasonal work patterns? My son is interested in working more hours during summer break but fewer (or none) during the school year. I'm wondering if this creates any complications with the monthly versus annual limits, or if it's pretty straightforward as long as we stay under the yearly threshold. Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences here. It's so helpful to hear real-world examples rather than just trying to decipher the SSA website!

As someone who went through this exact situation with my daughter last year, I wanted to add a few practical points that might help. My 17-year-old started working at a local pizza place while receiving survivor benefits, and I was just as worried as you are now. First, the earnings limits everyone mentioned are accurate - $23,400 annually and roughly $1,950 monthly for 2025. But here's something that really helped us: I created a simple monthly tracking system using just a notebook where I wrote down her hours and calculated her gross pay each week. This made it super easy to see if we were approaching any limits. Second, I'd recommend being proactive about communication with SSA rather than avoiding it. When I finally called (yes, the wait was terrible, but I got through), the representative was actually very helpful and explained exactly what we needed to track and when to report. They even noted in her file that she had started working, which prevented any surprises later. One thing that surprised me: the work experience has been incredibly valuable for my daughter's confidence and maturity. She's learned so much about responsibility, customer service, and managing money. At typical part-time teenage wages, the impact on benefits has been minimal, but the life skills have been huge. I say let your son take the job - just keep good records and don't be afraid to contact SSA if you have questions. The benefits of work experience far outweigh the small risk to his SSA payments!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences! I'm in a very similar situation - my 16-year-old wants to work at a local retail store while receiving survivor benefits after losing his father two years ago. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. The consistent message seems to be that typical part-time teenage work (15-20 hours at minimum wage) is very unlikely to hit either the annual limit of $23,400 or monthly limit of around $1,950. I love all the practical suggestions about tracking earnings with simple notebooks or spreadsheets, keeping pay stubs organized, and potentially setting up separate bank accounts. What really resonates with me is how many parents emphasized that the work experience, responsibility, and life skills gained are invaluable - probably worth much more than any small potential impact on benefits. I think I was getting too caught up in the fear of "what if" scenarios instead of focusing on the positive aspects of my son learning work ethic and financial responsibility. The advice about being proactive with SSA communication rather than avoiding them also makes a lot of sense. I'd rather get everything clarified upfront than worry about potential issues later. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their real-world experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to navigate the SSA website alone!

As a new member of this community, I wanted to share my perspective after reading through this incredibly helpful discussion. My 17-year-old has been receiving survivor benefits for the past four years, and she recently started working at a local bookstore. What I've learned through our experience aligns perfectly with what everyone has shared here - the work has been transformative for her in ways I never expected. Beyond just earning spending money, she's developed time management skills, learned to interact professionally with customers and coworkers, and gained a sense of independence and pride that you simply can't get from benefits alone. Regarding the practical aspects: we've been tracking her earnings in a simple calendar where I note her weekly hours and calculate monthly totals. At 12-15 hours per week at $12/hour, she's earning roughly $750-900 per month - well under that $1,950 monthly threshold. We also opened a separate savings account for her work earnings, which has been great for teaching budgeting skills and keeping everything organized for record-keeping. One thing I'd emphasize is don't let fear of SSA complications prevent your son from gaining valuable work experience. The earnings limits are reasonable, the life skills are invaluable, and most importantly - you're raising a young man who will understand the value of work as he transitions to full independence. That's worth so much more than any temporary benefit payment.

I'm new to this community and wanted to add my experience as someone who recently went through this with my 16-year-old son. He started working at a local hardware store last fall while receiving survivor benefits after his dad passed away three years ago. Like many of you, I was initially terrified about how his job might affect his benefits. But after speaking with SSA (it took forever to get through, but the representative was actually very helpful), I learned that the limits are quite reasonable for typical teenage work. My son works about 18 hours per week at $13/hour, which comes out to roughly $1,200 per month - well under both the monthly and annual thresholds. What's been amazing to see is how much he's grown through this work experience. He's become more responsible with money, learned valuable customer service skills, and gained confidence that I don't think he would have developed otherwise. His grades have actually improved because he's had to become better at time management. One practical tip: we set up automatic transfers from his checking account to a savings account so he's learning to save a portion of his earnings. This also helps with record-keeping since we can easily track his work income separately from his survivor benefits. To the original poster - I'd definitely encourage you to let your son take the grocery store job. The work experience and life skills he'll gain are invaluable, and at typical part-time wages, the impact on benefits should be minimal. Just keep good records and don't be afraid to contact SSA if you have questions!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! I'm in a very similar situation with my 15-year-old who will turn 16 soon and has been asking about getting a job while receiving survivor benefits. What strikes me most about all these responses is how consistently positive the experiences have been. The earnings limits seem very reasonable for typical teenage part-time work, and it's clear that the work experience provides invaluable life skills that go far beyond the paycheck - responsibility, time management, customer service, and financial literacy. I especially appreciate all the practical tips shared here: keeping detailed records with simple tracking systems, setting up separate bank accounts, communicating with employers about scheduling constraints, and being proactive rather than fearful about SSA communication. The real-world examples of earnings ($750-1200/month) really help put the limits in perspective. One thing that really resonates is how many parents mentioned that their teenagers actually became MORE responsible and organized after starting work - better grades, improved time management, increased maturity. These benefits seem to far outweigh any minor impact on SSA payments. This thread has given me the confidence to support my son's desire to work when he turns 16. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community where we can share these experiences and help each other navigate these complex situations!