Will my $35,200 part-time job affect my Social Security survivor benefits at age 60?

You definitely need to report this to SSA as soon as possible! For survivor benefits at age 60, the 2025 earnings limit is $22,320. Since you're over that limit, SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. Here's the math: $35,200 - $22,320 = $12,880 over the limit So approximately $6,440 in benefits would be withheld. You can report the change by calling SSA directly or logging into your my Social Security account online. Don't wait until tax time - they'll catch it anyway through IRS matching and you could face a larger overpayment.

To answer your specific questions: 1. You should report this change immediately by calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or using your my Social Security account. There's a specific section for reporting changes that affect benefits. 2. For survivors who start benefits before Full Retirement Age (FRA), SSA uses the retirement earnings test. Only earnings after you became entitled to benefits count. If you earned $8,200 before June, that amount won't count toward the limit. So your countable earnings would be approximately $27,000 ($35,200 - $8,200). The 2025 annual limit is $22,320, so you're about $4,680 over. Since SSA withholds $1 for every $2 over the limit, you'd lose approximately $2,340 in benefits for 2025. They'll recover this either by suspending future payments until the amount is recouped or by establishing an overpayment that you'll need to repay.

wait just to make sure i understand this right - she gets a SPECIAL BREAK because she earned that $8,200 BEFORE she filed??? why does social security have to make everything so darn confusing!! i thought ALL yearly income counts toward the limit!!

When I was in this EXACT situation last year, I ended up with a $4,200 overpayment notice that I'm still paying back. SS doesn't automatically adjust your benefits when you go over the limit - they wait until they get the earnings data from IRS the NEXT year, then hit you with a big bill. It's a terrible system!!! My advice? Call them RIGHT NOW and tell them to adjust your benefits downward for the rest of the year. It's better to get smaller checks now than to owe a big lump sum later.

congrats on getting survivor benefits approved! my mom has been waiting 4 months for hers to start after my dad passed

One important point that hasn't been mentioned - if this counseling work continues into 2026, you should be aware that the earnings limit will be monthly in the year you reach Full Retirement Age, and then disappear completely the month you hit your FRA. For months before your FRA in the year you reach it, the limit is much higher (around $59,520 for 2025), and SSA only withholds $1 for every $3 over that limit. So depending on your birth year, you might want to factor this into your work planning for the next few years to maximize both earnings and benefits.

my sister had this problem and she just didn't tell social security about her job and nothing happened!!!! the irs and ssa don't talk to each other that much i think

Update: I called the SSA today and after an hour and 45 minutes on hold, I got through to someone who confirmed what you all said. They're going to adjust my benefits for November and December to help offset some of the overpayment. The representative said they'll still probably need to recover some money next year once my W-2 is processed, but it won't be as much. She also gave me the option to voluntarily suspend my benefits for the rest of the year if I wanted to minimize the overpayment even more. I decided not to do that since I need the income right now. Thanks everyone for your help! I feel much less anxious now that I know what to expect.

NOBODY mentioned that survivor benefits taken at 60 are reduced by 28.5% FOREVER!!! she's only getting 71.5% of what she would get if she waited till her FRA!!! i hope the counseling job pays well because that's a big hit to take on lifetime benefits!!!