Working full-time before FRA date - will SS benefits be reduced if I start collecting at my FRA in September?

Good news! Once you hit your Full Retirement Age, there is NO earnings limit. This means that starting from the month you reach FRA (September 2025 in your case), you can earn as much as you want with no reduction in benefits. The earnings test only applies before you reach your FRA. For the months before you reach FRA in the year you reach FRA (January-August 2025), there is a higher earnings limit ($58,920 for 2025), and SSA only withholds $1 for every $3 you earn above that limit. Based on your $86,000 salary, you'd be about $27,080 over for the full year, but since they only count 8 months, it would be about $18,053 over the limit, meaning they might withhold about $6,018 of benefits. However, this is just a withholding, not a permanent reduction. SSA will adjust your benefit amount once you reach FRA to account for any months they withheld benefits.

Actually, there's a crucial detail being missed here. The earnings test is applied differently in the year you reach FRA. From January through August 2025 (the months before your FRA), the 2025 earnings limit for the year of FRA will apply - likely around $58,920 (it's $56,520 for 2024, and increases annually). For these months, SSA only counts earnings BEFORE the month you reach FRA, and they only withhold $1 for every $3 above the limit. Starting the exact month you reach FRA (September 2025), there is NO earnings limit whatsoever. You can make millions and it won't affect your SS benefits at all. Based on your $86,000 annual salary, your January-August earnings would be roughly $57,333 ($86,000 ÷ 12 × 8), which is actually just under the special higher limit for the year you reach FRA. So you likely would NOT have any benefits withheld at all if you file in September at your FRA!

the rules r so confusing!! when i started ss they told me one thing then did another with my check. good luck figuring it out lol

I went through this EXACT situation last year. The SSA is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE at explaining this stuff clearly. I reached FRA in July 2024 but was still working full-time making around $92K. What actually happened: I filed exactly on my FRA date. I received my first payment the following month (no reduced amount). The earnings from January-June 2024 did NOT affect my benefits at all because I was under that special higher limit for the year you reach FRA. The SSA agents I spoke with gave conflicting information THREE TIMES!!! One told me to wait until January 2025, which would have cost me 6 months of benefits for NO REASON!!! Another incorrectly calculated my earnings. The third finally got it right. DO NOT trust what the first agent tells you. Always call back and verify with at least one other agent.

I was in a similar situation last year and spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Social Security who could actually answer my questions. I kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of the hours I was spending before. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to actually talk to someone and get this earnings limit question sorted out. The agent confirmed that since I was starting benefits exactly at my FRA, the earnings before that month wouldn't matter as long as they were under that higher limit for the year you reach FRA.

Yeah, it actually does work. I was skeptical too, but they got me through when I'd already wasted hours trying on my own. The SSA phone system is completely broken these days.

Just my two cents but I turned 66 (my FRA) in August last year and started benefits then even though I was still working. My January-July earnings were less than the limit and I had zero issues. Got my first payment in September (they pay a month behind) with no reductions. If I were you I'd just apply right at your FRA in September.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I think I'm going to go ahead and apply right at my FRA in September based on what you're all saying. It sounds like my January-August earnings will likely be under that special higher limit, so I shouldn't face any reductions. And since there's no earnings limit at all once I hit FRA, the September-December earnings won't matter at all. I'll probably try calling SSA to confirm all this (maybe using that Claimyr service if the regular line is too frustrating). Better to verify everything before making the decision.

wait i thought there WAS an earnings limit even after FRA???? my uncle had his benefits reduced last year and hes 70!!!

One more thing to be aware of: even though there's no benefit REDUCTION after FRA, your higher earnings might make your Social Security benefits TAXABLE. Up to 85% of your benefits can be subject to income tax depending on your combined income. This doesn't reduce what SS pays you, but it does affect your overall tax situation. Just something to keep in mind for tax planning purposes!