Will my Social Security benefits increase if I continue working after FRA?

Oh that's fantastic news! I had some lower earning years back in my 30s when I was between jobs, so these current earnings will definitely be higher. Do you know roughly how much of an increase I might see? Just trying to budget for the future.

Even a small increase would be welcome! Every bit helps with inflation these days. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thank you for the detailed explanation! Knowing the timing helps a lot. I might try calling SSA to get a more specific estimate, although I'm not looking forward to those infamous wait times...

I had the same problem last month trying to resolve an underpayment issue. After multiple disconnected calls, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at SSA in about 20 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when they reach an agent. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com. Worth checking out if you need to speak with SSA about that AERO calculation.

Wow, $175 is significant! My situation might be somewhat similar. I had some years in the 80s where I was earning much less than now. That gives me hope for a meaningful increase. Thanks for sharing your husband's experience!

That's a different situation. When you reach FRA, your SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits, generally at the same amount. You can work without earnings limits after FRA, but the AERO recalculations might be less significant in your case since you likely have more zero or low-earning years in your history due to being on disability. But yes, any new substantial earnings could potentially increase your benefit through the same AERO process.

This is an important point. With $84,000 in wages plus Social Security benefits, you're very likely to have up to 85% of your SS benefits subject to federal income tax. This doesn't mean you lose 85% - it means that up to 85% of your benefit amount gets added to your taxable income. Make sure you're withholding enough from your combined income sources to avoid a tax surprise next April.

This is really helpful advice about checking the earnings history! I actually haven't looked at my Social Security Statement in a few years, so I should definitely log in and review those 35 years to see where I stand. It's good to know that my full $84,000 salary will count since it's well below that wage base limit. I'm feeling more optimistic about the potential for meaningful increases now, especially after hearing about some of the success stories shared here. Thanks for the practical tip about using ssa.gov to do my own analysis!

This is such valuable information! I'm also new to navigating Social Security while continuing to work, and I really appreciate you sharing your experience with the bend points concept - I hadn't heard that term before. It sounds like downloading the earnings history from the my Social Security account is definitely my next step. I'm curious though - when you spoke with the SSA rep about your specific situation, were they able to give you a ballpark estimate of what your annual increase might be? I'm trying to get a sense of whether it's worth the effort to call them or if I should just wait and see what happens with the automatic recalculation process.

@f76aa451700a When I spoke with the SSA rep, they were able to give me a rough estimate based on my current earnings replacing my lowest years. They said I could expect somewhere between $40-80 per month increase annually, but cautioned that the actual amount depends on the complex indexing calculations they use. The rep was honest that the first year usually shows the biggest jump if you're replacing really low earning years, then subsequent increases tend to be smaller. In my case, it was definitely worth the call because it helped me plan my retirement timeline better. I'd say if you're curious about your specific situation and can get through to someone (either by waiting it out or using that callback service), it's worth asking. But if you're not in a hurry to know, the automatic process will handle everything and you'll see any increases show up in your January payments following the year you earned the income.

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful once I finally got through! They couldn't give me an exact dollar amount (said it depends on too many variables), but they were able to look at my earnings history and confirm that several of my early career years would likely be replaced by my current earnings. They estimated I could see anywhere from $50-100 per month increase over the next few years if I keep working at my current salary level. The rep also mentioned that the first year usually shows the biggest jump if you're replacing really low-earning years. Honestly, even getting that rough estimate made the call worth it - gave me a much better idea of what to expect than just waiting and wondering!

Great question about getting estimates from SSA! When I called (took 3 tries to get through), the representative was able to give me a rough estimate based on my current earnings replacing my lowest years. She said with my $75k salary, I could expect maybe $40-60 per month increase annually for the next few years, but emphasized it varies year to year depending on which specific low-earning years get replaced. She also mentioned that the first year of increases tends to be the biggest if you have really low years from decades ago. Honestly, even getting a ballpark was helpful for my retirement planning. I'd say it's worth calling if you can get through - or try that Claimyr service others mentioned. The peace of mind of knowing what to expect was worth the effort for me!

Great question! The SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate based on my earnings history. She looked at my lowest earning years and told me that if I continue at my current salary for another 2-3 years, I could see increases of around $40-60 per month total. Not huge, but definitely worthwhile! The key thing she explained is that the calculation depends on which specific years get replaced and how much higher your current earnings are compared to those old years. In my case, I had a few years in the early 90s where I was only making $15k-20k, so replacing those with $75k (even after indexing) makes a real difference. I'd say it's worth calling if you want peace of mind and can get through - just knowing the potential impact helped me feel better about continuing to work instead of retiring completely.

Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful with estimates! She looked at my earnings history and said that based on my current $75k salary replacing some of those early 90s years (which were around $25-30k in today's dollars), I could expect roughly $40-60 per month increase after the first year, with smaller increases in subsequent years as the lower-earning years get replaced. She emphasized it's just an estimate since the calculations are complex, but it gave me a realistic expectation. Honestly, I think it's worth the call if you can get through - even knowing the ballpark helps with financial planning. The automatic process works fine, but there's peace of mind in understanding what to expect rather than just waiting to see what shows up!

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful once I finally got through! They couldn't give me an exact dollar amount since it depends on the final earnings for the year, but they walked me through a rough estimate based on my current salary replacing my lowest earning years. In my case, they estimated somewhere between $40-80 per month increase, which was more than I expected. They also explained that the increase compounds - so if I work multiple years, each year could potentially add more. I'd say it's definitely worth calling, especially if you use that Claimyr service to skip the hold time. The rep also mentioned that they can run different scenarios if you're thinking about working for multiple years beyond FRA. Having that information really helped me make better decisions about my retirement timeline and budgeting.

I actually just went through this process myself! When I finally got through to an SSA representative (took three tries but was worth it), they were able to give me a rough estimate based on my current earnings and work history. In my case, they said I could expect anywhere from $40-80 per month increase annually for the next few years since I'm replacing some really low years from the late 80s. The rep explained that the exact amount depends on which specific years get replaced and how the indexing works out, but having that ballpark range really helped with my retirement planning. I'd say it's definitely worth the call if you can get through - just be prepared with your recent pay stubs and have your Social Security number handy. The peace of mind of knowing what to expect was valuable to me, even though the automatic process would happen regardless.

@Diego Castillo Great question! The SSA rep was actually pretty helpful with estimates. She couldn t'give me an exact dollar amount since the AERO calculation is complex, but she was able to look at my earnings history and tell me that I had about 8 years in the early 90s where I earned less than $25k annually. With my current $75k salary, she estimated I could see increases of roughly $40-60 per month over the next few years of continued work. She also mentioned that the first year usually shows the biggest jump since it s'likely replacing your lowest earning year. Honestly, even getting that rough estimate made the phone call worth it - took about 45 minutes total including hold time I (used that Claimyr service mentioned earlier .)If you re'curious about your potential, I d'say it s'worth the call, especially since you can ask them to walk you through which specific years might get replaced.

Great question about getting estimates from SSA! When I called (after finally getting through), the rep was able to give me a rough estimate based on my current earnings replacing my lowest years. She told me to expect somewhere between $40-80 per month increase annually, but emphasized it really depends on which specific years get replaced and by how much. What was really helpful was that she walked me through the calculation method - they take your highest 35 years, index them for inflation, then divide by 420 months to get your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME). From there they apply those bend points I mentioned. Honestly, even if you just want peace of mind about the process, I'd say it's worth the call. The rep I spoke with was genuinely helpful once I got through, and it gave me a much clearer picture of what to expect. Just definitely use that Claimyr service or try calling early in the morning to avoid the worst hold times!

Yes, the SSA rep was actually able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and said based on replacing my three lowest years from the early 90s (which were around $15k-18k each), I could expect somewhere in the range of $40-60 per month increase annually while I continue working at my current salary level. She emphasized it was just an estimate and the actual AERO calculation might be different, but it gave me a good baseline to work with. I'd say it's definitely worth calling if you can get through - having that personalized estimate really helped me make decisions about my work timeline and financial planning. The rep also mentioned that the increases tend to be larger in the first year or two if you're replacing really low earnings years, then smaller as you replace higher years, which matches what others have shared here.

Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful once I got through! They couldn't give me an exact dollar amount (said it depends on the final wage indexing calculations), but they were able to tell me that based on my earnings history, I had about 8-10 years from the early 90s that were significantly lower than my current salary. They estimated I could see anywhere from $40-80 per month increase each year I continue working at my current level, with the biggest jumps likely in the first 2-3 years as I replace the lowest earning years first. The rep also mentioned that they can run a "what if" scenario if you give them your expected annual earnings, though they stressed it's just an estimate. Honestly, even knowing it might be $40-80/month made it worth the call for me - that's $500-1000 more per year! I'd say it's definitely worth trying to reach them, especially if you use that Claimyr service to avoid the hold time nightmare.

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful! They couldn't give me an exact dollar amount since it depends on the final year-end earnings, but they walked me through a rough calculation. They looked at my lowest earning years (I had three years in the early 90s under $15k) and estimated that replacing even one of those with my current $75k salary could add around $40-60 per month to my benefit. The rep explained that the formula uses your average indexed monthly earnings, so higher recent earnings can have a meaningful impact if they're replacing really low years. I'd say it's worth the call, especially using that Claimyr service to skip the hold time - just have your most recent pay stub handy and be ready to provide your expected annual earnings. Even getting a ballpark estimate helped me plan my finances better!

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and said that with my current $75k salary replacing some of those early 90s years where I was making around $18-22k, I could expect somewhere between $40-80 per month increase over the next few years of working. She emphasized it wasn't a guarantee since the calculations are complex, but it gave me a good ballpark. Honestly, even calling with the help of that Claimyr service was worth it just for the peace of mind. The rep also mentioned that the first year of increases tends to be the most significant if you're replacing really low earning years, then it tapers off as you replace higher years. I'd say it's worth the call if you want to plan your finances more accurately!

Great question! The SSA rep was actually pretty helpful - she was able to give me a rough estimate based on my earnings history. In my case, she said I could expect somewhere between $40-80 per month increase over the next few years if I keep working at my current salary level. She explained that the first year would likely see the biggest jump since I'm replacing a really low earning year from 1992, and then smaller increments after that. Honestly, even getting that ballpark range was worth the call for me - it helped with my retirement planning. I'd definitely recommend trying to speak with someone if you can get through, especially since your situation sounds similar to mine. The rep also mentioned that they can run different scenarios if you tell them how long you plan to keep working.

Great question! The SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate, though she cautioned it could vary. In my case, she estimated around $40-60 per month increase based on replacing three particularly low years from the early 90s with my current earnings. She walked me through the calculation by looking at my indexed earnings and showing me which years were at the bottom of my top 35. What was really helpful was that she explained the timing - any 2024 earnings would show up in my October 2025 payment (retroactive to January 2025). I'd say it's worth the call if you can get through, especially using that Claimyr service to avoid the hold time. Having that ballpark number really helped me with financial planning, and it was encouraging to know the increases would be more meaningful than I initially expected. The rep also mentioned that people with gaps in their work history or early low-earning years tend to see bigger bumps from continued work after FRA.

@Diego Castillo Yes, the SSA rep was actually able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and told me that based on my current $75k salary replacing some of those early 90s years which (were around $18-22k ,)I could expect somewhere in the range of $40-60 per month increase annually while I continue working. She emphasized it was just an estimate since the exact calculation depends on the indexing factors they use, but it gave me a good sense of what to expect. I d'say it s'definitely worth the call if you can get through - even knowing the ballpark range helps with financial planning. Plus, they can explain which specific years in your history are most likely to be replaced, which is really interesting to see!

@Diego Castillo That s'exactly what I was wondering too! I m'definitely going to download my earnings history first to get a better picture of which years might be getting replaced. From what everyone s'shared here, it sounds like the potential increase really varies based on your individual situation - some people see modest bumps of $20-30 monthly while others like Keisha s'husband saw much larger increases over time. I think I ll'start with the online research and then decide if it s'worth navigating the phone system. At least now I know about that Claimyr service as a backup option if I do need to speak with someone directly. Thanks for asking that question - it s'helpful to know I m'not the only one trying to figure out the best approach!

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and said that based on my current $75k salary replacing some of those low-earning years from the early 90s, I could expect somewhere in the range of $40-60 per month increase annually for the next few years I continue working. She emphasized it wasn't a guarantee since the calculations are complex, but it gave me a good ballpark to work with. Honestly, it was worth the call just for the peace of mind - I'd definitely recommend trying to reach them if you can get through. The rep also mentioned that the increases tend to be larger in the first couple years of working past FRA if you're replacing really low-earning years, then they get smaller as you replace higher-earning years. Hope that helps with your planning!

@Makayla Shoemaker Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful with estimates! She looked at my earnings history and said that based on my current salary replacing some of my lower years from the early 90s, I could expect roughly $40-60 per month increase after working a full year at my current pay level. She emphasized it was just an estimate since the actual calculation involves those bend points and inflation indexing, but it gave me a realistic expectation. Honestly, I think it s'worth calling just to understand your specific situation better - especially if you use that Claimyr service to skip the hold time. Even if the increase isn t'huge, knowing what to expect helps with financial planning. Plus, the rep also explained some other nuances about working past FRA that I hadn t'considered, like how the timing of when you claim versus when you start working affects things.

@f76aa451700a When I spoke with the SSA rep, they were able to give me a rough estimate based on my earnings history. They told me that replacing my lowest earning year (which was around $8,000 back in 1992) with my current $75k salary could potentially increase my monthly benefit by about $40-50. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on your specific earning years that would be replaced. The rep mentioned that the calculation is pretty complex because of the indexing for inflation and the bend point formulas, but they were surprisingly helpful once I got through. I'd say it's worth the call if you can get through - even just understanding which of your low-earning years might be impacted can help you decide whether continuing to work makes financial sense for your situation.

@Makayla Shoemaker Yes, the SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and said that based on my current $75k salary replacing those low years from the early 90s, I could expect somewhere in the range of $40-60 per month increase annually while I continue working. She emphasized it was just an estimate since the actual calculation involves those bend points and indexing factors, but it gave me a realistic expectation. Honestly, even knowing it might be on the lower end, I found the call worthwhile because it helped me plan better. The peace of mind was worth the effort, especially since I used that Claimyr service and only waited about 15 minutes to get through. I d'say if you re'comfortable with uncertainty, you could wait for the automatic process, but if you re'a planner like me, the call is definitely worth it!

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and said that based on replacing my lowest years from the early 90s with my current $75k salary, I could potentially see an increase of around $80-120 per month over the next few years of continued work. She emphasized it was just an estimate since it depends on exactly which years get replaced, but it gave me a much better sense of the potential benefit. Honestly, getting that specific information made calling worth it - even though I used Claimyr to avoid the hold time! The rep also mentioned that the increases tend to be larger in the first year or two if you're replacing really low earning years, then smaller as you replace higher years. I'd definitely recommend calling if you want a personalized estimate rather than just waiting to see what happens.

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful with estimates! She pulled up my earnings record and walked me through a rough calculation. In my case, she estimated I'd see about $40-50 more per month after my first year of post-FRA work, and potentially another $25-30 the following year if I kept the same salary level. She explained that the first year usually shows the biggest jump because it's replacing my lowest earning year from way back. The key thing she told me was that with my current $75k salary, I'm definitely in the sweet spot where the increases will be noticeable. Your mileage may vary depending on your historical earnings, but I'd say it's worth the call if you can get through - just having that concrete number helped me plan better financially.

I can share my experience with that SSA call! The rep was actually pretty helpful once I got through. They couldn't give me an exact dollar amount (they said too many variables), but they were able to tell me that based on my earnings history, I had about 8 years from the 1990s that were significantly lower than my current $75k salary. They explained that each replaced year could potentially add $15-25 to my monthly benefit, so I'm looking at maybe $120-200 total increase over the next few years if I keep working. Not life-changing money, but definitely worth it! The rep also mentioned that the first year usually shows the biggest jump since it's likely replacing your lowest earning year. I'd say it's worth the call if you can get through - having that personalized estimate really helped me plan better than just waiting to see what happens.

Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful with estimates! She looked at my earnings history and said based on my current $75k salary replacing some of those early 90s years (which were around $15-20k), I could see roughly a $40-60 monthly increase once all the recalculations are done. She emphasized it's just an estimate since they use complex indexing formulas, but it gave me a realistic expectation. Honestly, it was worth the call even though it took forever to get through. The rep explained that people in our situation - continuing to work at FRA with significantly higher current earnings than some of our earlier years - tend to see more meaningful increases than someone who had consistent high earnings throughout their career. I'd say it's definitely worth calling if you can get through, especially since you're just starting this journey and want to plan accordingly!

@Makayla Shoemaker The SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate! She looked at my earnings history and said with my current salary replacing some of those early 90s years which (were around $18-22k ,)I could potentially see an increase of $40-60 per month once the recalculation happens. She cautioned it was just an estimate since the exact formula is complex, but it gave me a good baseline expectation. Honestly, even knowing that range made the call worthwhile - took about 45 minutes total including hold time when I used that Claimyr service. If you re'really curious about your specific situation, I d'say it s'worth making the call, especially since you ll'have concrete numbers to work with for planning purposes.

Great question! The SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate based on my earnings history. She looked at my lowest earning years (I had three years in the early 90s where I made less than $15k) and estimated that replacing those with my current $75k salary would likely increase my monthly benefit by about $80-120 per month once all the recalculations are done over the next few years. She emphasized it was just an estimate since the exact calculation depends on the indexing factors they use, but it gave me a much better sense of the potential impact. I'd say it's worth calling if you can get through - having that personalized estimate really helped with my retirement planning decisions. The rep also mentioned that people with more significant gaps in their earnings history (like those who took time off for caregiving or had periods of unemployment) tend to see larger increases from working past FRA.

Great question! The SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate based on my earnings history. She looked at my lowest earning years that would be replaced and estimated around $40-60 per month increase for my first year of continued work. Not huge, but definitely worthwhile! She mentioned that the calculation gets complex because they use indexed earnings and those "bend points" I mentioned, but having that ballpark figure helped me plan. I'd say it's worth calling if you can get through - even if just to understand your specific situation better. The automatic process will happen regardless, but knowing what to expect is nice for budgeting purposes. Plus, understanding how it works might help you make better decisions about how long to keep working.

Great question about getting estimates from SSA! When I called, the rep was able to give me a rough estimate based on my current salary replacing my lowest earning years. She said to expect somewhere between $40-80 per month increase annually, but cautioned that it really depends on the specific years being replaced and the bend point calculations. The rep actually walked me through which of my low-earning years from the early 90s would likely get replaced first - turned out three years where I made under $15k were prime candidates. She also mentioned that the increases tend to be larger in the first few years of working past FRA if you have really low years to replace, then smaller as you replace progressively higher-earning years. Honestly, the 20-minute call (thanks to Claimyr getting me through) was worth it just for the peace of mind and understanding how my specific situation would play out. I'd recommend calling if you want that personalized insight rather than just waiting to see what happens!

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful with estimates! She looked at my specific earnings history and told me that based on my current $84,000 salary, I could expect somewhere between $45-65 per month increase if I work this full year. She explained that it depends on exactly which low-earning year gets replaced and how the indexing works out. What surprised me was that she said the first year of working past FRA often gives the biggest bump if you have some really low years in your history. She also mentioned that the calculation gets a bit complex because they index your historical earnings to today's dollars before doing the comparison. Honestly, even getting a rough estimate like that made the call worthwhile - it helped me feel more confident about my decision to keep working. I'd definitely recommend calling, especially if you use that Claimyr service to avoid the hold time nightmare!

@f76aa451700a I'd love to hear about your experience with the SSA rep too! When I called a few months ago (after multiple attempts), the representative was actually quite helpful once I got through. They were able to pull up my earnings record and give me a rough estimate based on my expected 2024 earnings. In my case, they said I could potentially see an increase of around $40-60 per month starting in 2026, which was more than I expected! The key is having your recent pay stubs or W-2 handy when you call so they can run the numbers. It definitely felt worth the effort to get that personalized estimate rather than just waiting to see what happens automatically.

Great question! When I spoke with the SSA rep, they were able to give me a rough estimate based on my earnings history. They told me that replacing my lowest earning years (which were around $12,000-15,000 back in the early 90s) with my current $75k salary could potentially increase my monthly benefit by about $40-60 per month. They emphasized it was just an estimate since the actual calculation involves those bend points and inflation indexing, but it gave me a good sense of what to expect. I'd say it's worth calling if you want some peace of mind about the numbers, especially if you use that Claimyr service to skip the hold time. But honestly, the automatic process works fine too if you're patient - I just wanted to know sooner rather than later for my own financial planning!

@f76aa451700a Yes, the SSA rep was actually pretty helpful once I finally got through! They couldn't give me an exact dollar amount without doing a formal calculation, but they were able to tell me that based on my earnings history, I had about 8-10 years from the 1990s that were significantly lower than my current $75k salary. They estimated I could see anywhere from $50-150 per month increase depending on exactly which years get replaced. What really helped was having my earnings record pulled up on ssa.gov while I was talking to them - they could reference specific years and explain why some would likely be replaced while others wouldn't. I'd say it's definitely worth the call if you can get through, especially since it sounds like you're in a similar boat with potentially replacing some lower earning years. Just be prepared with your earnings history downloaded so you can follow along with their explanation!

Great question! Yes, the SSA rep was able to give me a rough estimate. She looked at my earnings history and told me that if I kept working at my current salary for the full year, I could expect somewhere between $40-60 per month increase starting the following January. What made it worth calling was that she also explained which specific years from my history would likely be replaced - turned out I had three really low years from the early 90s that my current earnings would bump out of the calculation. She also mentioned that the increase might be even higher if I got any raises or bonuses that year. I'd say it's definitely worth making the call, especially if you use that Claimyr service to avoid the hold time nightmare. Having that concrete information helped me make better financial planning decisions about how long to keep working.