Will my state pension count toward Social Security earnings limit at age 62?

Good news! Your pension doesn't count toward the earnings limit. The earnings test ONLY counts wages from actual work or self-employment income. Pensions, investment income, interest, annuities, capital gains - none of these count toward the earnings limit. So your $1300/month pension won't affect your Social Security benefits at all under the earnings test. However, if you get a part-time job, those earnings WILL count against the limit. For 2025, if you're under Full Retirement Age (FRA) for the whole year, SSA will deduct $1 from benefits for each $2 you earn above the annual limit (which will likely be around $22,000-23,000 for 2025). Also, since you mentioned a state pension, be aware of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) which might reduce your Social Security benefit if you earned a pension from work where you didn't pay Social Security taxes. That's a separate issue from the earnings test though.

Your pension doesnt count toward earnings limit but beware of WEP - it can slash your SS benefit. My friends ex-husband worked for county government and his SS was cut almost in half when he started collecting! Its a way the govt. can take away benefits youve earned imho.

I just went through this exact situation last year! The pension definitely doesn't count toward the earnings limit - only actual work counts. But I did learn about the WEP thing the hard way when my benefit was about $450 less than I expected. You should call SSA directly to ask about your specific situation with the pension and WEP. The problem is getting through to them on the phone is nearly impossible these days. I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to a live agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting hours or days. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it when dealing with complex pension situations!

Let me provide some additional clarification: 1. Pension income (regardless of source) does NOT count toward the earnings test limit. Only wages or self-employment income counts. 2. Regarding WEP: This applies if you receive a pension from work where you did NOT pay Social Security taxes. You mentioned you paid into Social Security at a "reduced rate" - this sounds like you might be affected by WEP, but the impact varies based on your specific work history. 3. For 2025, the earnings limit for someone under FRA will likely be around $22,680 (based on typical annual increases). 4. If you work part-time after starting SS benefits, only those work earnings count toward the limit, not your pension. I recommend creating an account at my.ssa.gov where you can see your personalized benefit estimates which should already factor in any WEP reduction if applicable. Be aware that taking benefits at 62 means a permanent reduction of about 30% compared to waiting until your FRA.

EVERYONE HERE IS MISSING something important!!! If your pension is from a job where you DIDNT pay full social security taxes (like many state and local govt jobs), then you MIGHT be subject to both WEP *and* GPO. WEP reduces your own benefit and GPO can reduce any spousal or survivor benefits!!! My husbands pension from teaching for 25 yrs completely eliminated my spousal benefit I was counting on. Check both!!!!!

Just adding my two cents... I retired early at 62 last year and have a similar pension situation. I'm now kicking myself because I didn't fully understand how much the early claiming reduction plus WEP would affect my monthly payment. I'm getting almost $700 less per month than I was expecting based on the estimates I saw years ago. If I could do it over, I would have waited until at least 65. Just something to consider.

I'm confused about something... i thought the earnings limit was going up to like $56,000 or something in 2025? I read that somewhere I think. Can anyone confirm? Also does WEP apply if you worked for a private company pension?

The whole system is rigged against regular people trying to retire with dignity! I worked 40+ years and paid in every paycheck and now they want to cut benefits if you try to still work a little to make ends meet??? And these complicated rules about WEP and GPO that nobody understands until its too late. Its designed to confuse us! Im sorry but im so tired of this system that takes and takes but doesnt want to give you what youve earned!

To address the original question one more time with absolute clarity: 1. Pension income DOES NOT count toward the earnings limit. Only income from active work (wages or self-employment) counts. 2. If you work part-time after starting benefits, only those work earnings count. 3. The earnings limit is adjusted annually. For 2025, it will likely be around $22,680 if you're under Full Retirement Age the entire year. 4. At 62, your benefit is permanently reduced by about 30% compared to your Full Retirement Age benefit. 5. Given your pension situation, I strongly recommend contacting SSA directly about potential WEP impacts before making your final decision about when to claim benefits.

I went through a similar situation a few years ago and wanted to share what I learned. Like others have said, your pension absolutely does NOT count toward the earnings limit - that was a huge relief when I found out! One thing I'd add is that you should also request a detailed benefit estimate from SSA that shows your projected monthly benefit with any WEP reduction already calculated in. This will give you a much clearer picture of what to expect. When I did this, I discovered my WEP reduction was only about $150/month, not the massive cut I was worried about. Also, since you mentioned having a deceased spouse, definitely look into whether your survivor benefit might be higher than your own benefit (even after any GPO reduction). Sometimes it makes sense to take your reduced benefit at 62 and then switch to survivor benefits at your FRA if that would be higher. The decision of when to claim is really personal and depends on your health, financial needs, and life expectancy expectations. Don't let anyone pressure you either way - just make sure you have all the facts first!

I'm in a somewhat similar situation and have been researching this extensively. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also check if your state pension system participates in Social Security. Some state systems (like CalPERS in California) do participate, which means WEP wouldn't apply to you at all. Also, regarding the survivor benefit strategy that Danielle mentioned - this can be really valuable! Since your spouse worked in the private sector, you could potentially claim your own reduced benefit at 62, then switch to an unreduced survivor benefit at your Full Retirement Age (or even wait until 70 for delayed retirement credits on the survivor benefit). This strategy is called "claiming and switching" and it's one of the few remaining Social Security optimization strategies. The key is to run the numbers both ways: taking your benefit early vs. waiting, and comparing your own benefit to potential survivor benefits at different claiming ages. A fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security could help you model these scenarios. One last tip - if you do decide to work part-time after claiming, remember that the earnings test is annual, not monthly. So if you only work part of the year, you might stay under the limit even with a decent hourly wage.

I just wanted to add some perspective as someone who actually works in a Social Security field office. The information here is mostly accurate, but I want to emphasize a few key points: First, yes - pension income absolutely does NOT count toward the earnings limit. Only wages from employment or net earnings from self-employment count. This is one of the most common misconceptions we see. Regarding WEP, since you mentioned paying into Social Security at a "reduced rate" at your government job, this suggests you may have been in a position that DID pay Social Security taxes, just perhaps at a lower contribution rate due to also contributing to the pension system. If that's the case, WEP might not apply to you at all. You really need to verify whether your specific position was covered under Social Security. For the survivor benefit strategy others mentioned - this is legitimate and can be very beneficial. Since your spouse worked in private sector, there should be no GPO issues with survivor benefits. You could potentially claim your own benefit at 62 (reduced) and then switch to survivor benefits at your FRA if they're higher. My strongest recommendation is to schedule an appointment at your local Social Security office rather than trying to call. Bring your pension documentation and ask them to run a detailed benefit calculation that includes any potential WEP impact. They can also provide exact survivor benefit amounts. Complex cases like yours really benefit from face-to-face consultation with someone who can look at your complete work history. Don't rush this decision - take time to understand all your options first!

I'm new to this community but found this discussion incredibly helpful as I'm facing a similar situation. I'm 61 and considering my options for Social Security claiming with a teacher's pension from working 20 years in public schools. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that getting accurate information directly from SSA is crucial, especially for complex pension situations. I wanted to add that some states have recently changed their pension systems - for example, some newer teacher pension plans DO participate in Social Security while older ones don't. So even within the same profession and state, WEP may or may not apply depending on when you were hired. Also, for anyone considering the claiming and switching strategy with survivor benefits, be aware that this only works if you're eligible for benefits on your own record. You can't claim survivor benefits first and then switch to your own later - it only works in the direction of claiming your own reduced benefit first, then switching to survivor benefits if they're higher. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this has been more educational than hours of reading SSA publications!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's been putting off making decisions about my Social Security claiming strategy, reading through everyone's experiences has really opened my eyes to how many factors I need to consider. I'm particularly struck by how many people discovered important details about WEP, GPO, and claiming strategies that they wish they had known earlier. It seems like the key takeaways are: 1. Pension income doesn't count toward earnings limits (huge relief!) 2. Get your specific WEP impact calculated by SSA rather than assuming the worst 3. Verify whether your particular government position actually paid into Social Security 4. Consider survivor benefit strategies if you're widowed 5. Don't rush - take time to understand all your options For those who mentioned difficulty reaching SSA by phone, I'm wondering if anyone has tried using their online appointment scheduling system? I've heard it might be easier to get face-to-face appointments than phone consultations, and it sounds like complex pension situations really benefit from in-person review. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's so hard to find elsewhere!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough discussion! I'm 60 and have been dreading trying to figure out my Social Security strategy with a state pension involved, but reading through all these experiences has given me a much clearer roadmap. The most valuable insight for me is learning that pension income doesn't count toward the earnings limit - I had been assuming it did and was planning my part-time work accordingly. That opens up more possibilities for staying somewhat active in the workforce after claiming benefits. I'm also grateful for the advice about scheduling face-to-face appointments rather than battling the phone system. Like several others mentioned, I've had terrible experiences trying to reach SSA by phone, but I hadn't considered that in-person appointments might be more accessible. One question for those who've been through this process: when you met with SSA in person, did they provide written documentation of their benefit calculations and WEP impacts, or was it mostly verbal information? I want to make sure I get something in writing that I can review and share with a financial advisor if needed. The complexity of coordinating pensions, WEP, potential survivor benefits, and claiming timing is honestly overwhelming, but this community discussion has made it feel much more manageable. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences!