Will my pension affect survivor benefits from Social Security? Getting conflicting info from SSA rep
I'm currently 63 and receiving my late husband's survivor benefits while delaying my own SS until 70 for maximum benefit. Recently got a promotion at work and will be earning about $20,000 more next year than I initially reported to SSA. When I called to update them, the rep told me 'pension is not considered income' for the earnings test. That doesn't sound right to me since I'm not talking about pension but actual employment income. The rep seemed uncertain about several of my questions which has me worried. I know there's an earnings limit (around $22,320 for 2025 I think?) before they reduce benefits when you're under FRA. Does anyone know if the SSA rep gave me correct information? Will this income increase affect my survivor benefits? The last thing I want is a surprise overpayment letter next year! Also, should I call back and try to speak with someone else who might be more knowledgeable? This representative had me on hold multiple times and still couldn't answer basic questions.
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Vanessa Figueroa
The SSA rep gave you incorrect or misunderstood information. Pension income is indeed generally NOT counted toward the earnings test limit - that's correct. But your WORK earnings (wages, self-employment income, bonuses, etc.) absolutely DO count toward the annual earnings limit when you're receiving any Social Security benefit before reaching your full retirement age. For 2025, if you're under full retirement age for the entire year, SSA will deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $22,320. Since you're getting survivor benefits and will earn substantially more than you reported, you should definitely update SSA with your new expected earnings to avoid an overpayment situation. I'd recommend calling back and asking specifically for a technical expert or supervisor who specializes in survivor benefits and the earnings test.
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Diez Ellis
•Thank you for clarifying! I was pretty sure work income counted but she had me doubting myself. I'll definitely call back tomorrow and ask for someone more experienced. Do you know if I need any specific documentation about my income increase when I call? My promotion starts next month.
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Abby Marshall
When I was collecting widows benefits they reduced mine when I went over the limit. Call back asap, some reps dont know what there talking about.
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Diez Ellis
•Thanks for sharing your experience. That's exactly what I'm worried about - getting incorrect info and having problems later. I'll definitely call again.
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Sadie Benitez
You definitely need to call back and speak with someone else. The rep clearly confused pension income (which doesn't count toward the earnings test) with employment income (which absolutely does). This is actually a pretty common misunderstanding. If your work income will be $20,000 higher than what you originally reported, and that puts you over the annual limit ($22,320 for 2025), you'll have benefits withheld at the rate of $1 for every $2 over the limit. This can add up quickly! For example, if you end up $30,000 over the limit, that's potentially $15,000 in withheld benefits. Better to have your benefit amount adjusted now than to receive an overpayment notice demanding repayment later. When you call back, ask specifically to speak with a Claims Specialist who handles survivor benefits, not just a general service representative.
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Drew Hathaway
•My sister went through this exact situation! She didn't report her income increase and got hit with a massive overpayment notice. Took her almost a year to sort it out and she had to pay back every penny. Definitely call and get this straight ASAP!
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Laila Prince
I've been trying to reach someone at Social Security about a similar issue for WEEKS! Every time I call I'm on hold for 2+ hours and then get disconnected. So frustrating! Can't even get basic information about my own benefits that I'VE PAID INTO my whole life!!
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Isabel Vega
•I was having the same problem trying to reach SSA about my SSDI review. After being disconnected three times and wasting hours on hold, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Completely changed my experience with getting through to Social Security - might be worth checking out if you're still having trouble getting answers about your earnings limit situation.
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Dominique Adams
Wait I'm confused...aren't survivor benefits different from retirement benefits? Do the earnings limits even apply the same way?
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Yes, survivor benefits are different from retirement benefits, but the annual earnings limit applies to BOTH if you're under full retirement age. The same rules and limits apply whether you're receiving retirement, survivors, or disability benefits. The only difference is that once you reach your full retirement age, the earnings limit no longer applies to any type of benefit.
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Laila Prince
The rep probably confused pension with your work income. I had something similar happen last year - the first person I talked to at SSA told me completely wrong information about my widows benefits. Had to call back THREE TIMES before I got someone who actually knew what they were talking about!
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Diez Ellis
•That's disheartening but good to know I'm not alone in this experience. I'll definitely be persistent and call back until I get clear answers. Thanks for sharing!
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Vanessa Figueroa
One more important thing to know - even if some of your benefits are withheld due to the earnings test, it's not completely lost money. Once you reach full retirement age, SSA will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for the months when benefits were withheld. So your monthly benefit amount will increase slightly at that point. Also, make sure when you call back that you're clear about the type of income you're discussing. Sometimes representatives hear "increased income" and immediately think of pensions or other retirement income rather than wages.
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Diez Ellis
•That's really helpful information about getting credit later! I had no idea. When I call back, I'll be super specific about this being employment income from my job, not pension income. Thank you for taking the time to explain all this.
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Abby Marshall
does anyone no if the earnings limit changes every year? my nephew is on disabilty and his wife works, they told them theres a limit for her to.
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Sadie Benitez
•The annual earnings limit for Social Security retirement and survivors benefits does change each year based on national wage indexes. However, for SSDI (disability), the rules are completely different. For disability, there's a Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit, not a family earnings limit. Your nephew's wife's income generally doesn't affect his SSDI benefits (unless she's also receiving benefits on his record as a spouse). You might be thinking of SSI (Supplemental Security Income), which does consider household income. These are two completely different programs with different rules.
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