Working at 72 - Is there an earnings limit for Social Security benefits now that I'm past FRA?

Good news! Once you're past your Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is 66-67 depending on your birth year, there is NO limit on how much you can earn while receiving Social Security benefits. Since you're 72, you're well past FRA, so you can work and earn as much as you want without any reduction to your SS benefits. The earnings limit only applies to people who collect benefits before reaching their FRA.

Just be aware you'll probably pay more taxes tho... My dad works while getting SS and he said more of his SS benefits became taxable when his total income went up. I think it depends on your 'combined income' or something

I'm in the SAME boat but im 70!!!! Went back to work at Costco last year and was TERRFIED they would cut my social security but NOPE - they don't care how much you make after "full retirement age" (whatever that is for YOU). I earn $22/hr and work about 25 hrs a week and get my FULL social security check every month!!! Isn't that GREAT? Still paying into the system tho which seems unfair but whatever!!!

To contact Social Security directly about your specific situation, I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I had similar questions about working after FRA, and spent DAYS trying to get through to SSA on my own - kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. With Claimyr, I got a callback from an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes! They have a video demo showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - definitely worth it to get personalized answers about how your specific earnings might affect your benefits.

Everybody is saying there's no limit but my sister-in-law just had her benefits reduced when she started working at Walmart!!! She makes like $1800 a month there and her SS check went down by almost $300!!! So there DEFINITELY IS a limit!!!!

I'm surprised no one mentioned Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) yet. Since you're 72, make sure you're taking your RMDs from any traditional IRAs or 401(k)s you might have. That's completely separate from the earnings limit question, but it's something that kicks in at 72 now and can result in hefty penalties if forgotten. Just another consideration when looking at your overall income picture.

Jus wondering - what kinda work do u do at ur daughters accounting firm? I'm 69 and thinking about working again but not sure what jobs r good for seniors

To summarize what others have said correctly: 1. After Full Retirement Age (FRA): NO earnings limit whatsoever 2. Before FRA: Earnings limit applies ($22,320/year for 2025, with $1 deduction for every $2 over) 3. Year you reach FRA: Higher limit applies ($59,520 for 2025, with $1 deduction for every $3 over), and only earnings before your birthday month count Since you're 72, you're completely free to earn as much as you want with no impact on your Social Security benefits. The only consideration is potential increased taxation of your benefits if your combined income exceeds certain thresholds.

Great question! I'm 74 and went through this exact same worry when I started working part-time at my local library two years ago. Like others have said, there's absolutely no earnings limit once you're past your Full Retirement Age - I work about 20 hours a week and earn around $15/hour with zero impact on my Social Security benefits. The only thing I'd add is to keep good records of your earnings for tax purposes, since as others mentioned, the additional income might affect how much of your SS benefits are taxable. But from a benefits reduction standpoint, you're completely in the clear! Enjoy the extra income and the satisfaction of staying active in the workforce.

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been navigating Social Security for a few years now, I can confirm what everyone else has said - once you're past Full Retirement Age, you're golden! I'm 68 and picked up a consulting gig last year, and my SS benefits haven't been touched. The freedom to work without worrying about benefit reductions is such a relief. One small tip I'd add: if you do increase your hours significantly, you might want to adjust your tax withholdings since the extra income could bump you into a higher tax bracket or make more of your SS benefits taxable. But that's a good problem to have! Best of luck with the increased hours at your daughter's firm - how nice that you get to work together!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say thank you for asking this question! I'm 69 and have been hesitant to take on any work because I was so confused about the earnings limits. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - I had no idea that once you hit Full Retirement Age, the earnings restrictions completely disappear. It's amazing how many people seem to have the same misconception I did. The tax implications are definitely something I'll need to research more, but it's reassuring to know that from a benefits standpoint, working won't hurt my Social Security payments. This thread has given me the confidence to start looking into some part-time opportunities. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to hear from people who are actually doing this successfully!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I wanted to chime in because I'm actually in a very similar situation - I'm 71 and just started working part-time at a local bookstore a few months ago. I was terrified about the earnings limits too, but everyone here is absolutely right - once you're past Full Retirement Age, you can earn as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefits! I was so worried I'd mess something up that I called SSA three times before I felt confident enough to take the job. The peace of mind knowing there's no earnings cap has been incredible. The only thing I've noticed is what others mentioned about taxes - I did have to pay a bit more come tax time since my total income went up, but honestly it was worth it for the extra spending money and the social interaction. It's wonderful that you get to work with your daughter! I hope this thread has put your mind at ease like it would have for me months ago.

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how helpful this entire discussion has been to read through. I'm 70 and have been considering going back to work part-time, but like so many others here, I was really worried about how it might affect my Social Security benefits. The clarity everyone has provided about there being NO earnings limit after Full Retirement Age is such a relief! It's incredible how widespread the confusion about this seems to be - I've talked to several friends my age who all had the same misconception. I really appreciate how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. The additional insights about tax implications and RMDs have given me a much more complete picture of what to consider. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming space where we can learn from each other's real experiences!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful discussion. I'm 73 and went through this exact same anxiety about earnings limits when I started doing some freelance bookkeeping work last year. Like everyone has confirmed, once you're past your Full Retirement Age, you're completely free to earn whatever you can without any impact on your Social Security benefits! What really struck me reading through all these responses is how common this worry seems to be among our age group. I think part of the confusion comes from hearing about the earnings limits that affect younger retirees and not realizing those rules completely disappear once you hit FRA. The peace of mind I felt when I finally understood this was enormous. One small addition to what others have mentioned about taxes - I found it helpful to set aside a small percentage of my extra earnings throughout the year for tax time, since as others noted, the additional income can affect how much of your SS benefits become taxable. But honestly, it's such a good "problem" to have! Enjoy those extra hours at your daughter's firm - what a wonderful way to stay active and spend time together while earning some extra income worry-free!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact same worry just last year. I'm 71 and was absolutely terrified about potentially losing Social Security benefits when I started helping out at my nephew's landscaping business during the busy spring season. I must have read every SSA publication twice before finally understanding that once you're past Full Retirement Age, there truly is NO earnings limit whatsoever! I ended up working about 30 hours a week for three months and earned close to $6,000 - my Social Security benefits weren't touched at all. The only surprise was at tax time when I owed a bit more than usual because of the additional income, but like others have mentioned, that's actually a positive problem to have. What really helped me was keeping detailed records of my earnings and setting aside about 20% for taxes throughout the season. It's been so reassuring to read everyone's similar experiences here - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these concerns that seem to affect so many of us!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been. I'm 68 and have been hesitant to take on any additional work because I was so confused about these earnings limits. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been eye-opening - it's amazing how many of us had the same worries! The clear explanation that there's absolutely NO earnings limit after Full Retirement Age has given me so much confidence. I especially appreciate all the practical tips about tax implications and record-keeping that people have shared. It's wonderful to see such a supportive community where we can learn from each other's actual experiences rather than just trying to decipher confusing government websites. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming space for these important questions!