Working while receiving retroactive Social Security at FRA - will I owe money back?

you don't need to worry. once you hit FRA, there's no earnings limit anymore. doesn't matter how much you make. i went thru something similar last yr and kept every penny of my retroactive payment even tho i was still working.

My brother just went through this exact thing! If you reached your full retirement age before the retroactive payments started, you're in the clear. He was panicking too but all his money was safe.

I had a SIMILAR SITUATION and let me tell you the SSA system is SO CONFUSING!!! I was working while collecting and they DID take money back from me because I was under my FRA for part of the year. But it sounds like you were already at your FRA for all those retroactive months so you might be OK? The rules are ridiculous and nobody at SSA gives straight answers!!!!!

i think your confused about how the earnings test works. there's 3 different rules: 1) Before the year you reach FRA: $1 deduction for every $2 you earn above annual limit (about $22,320 in 2025) 2) During the year you reach FRA but before the month you reach FRA: $1 deduction for every $3 you earn above higher limit (about $59,520 in 2025) 3) Month you reach FRA and after: NO EARNINGS LIMIT In your case, you reached FRA in January 2025, and your retroactive benefits started February 2025. Since all those months are after you reached FRA, there is NO earnings test applied. You keep all your money.

My situation was different from yours and it caused me a lot of headaches. I started collecting at 63 and didn't realize about the earnings limit until tax time when I got a notice I owed $7,400 back! But you're past your FRA for all those months so you're totally fine. The earnings test disappears completely once you hit your full retirement age.

You're absolutely fine. The earnings test only applies before you reach your Full Retirement Age. Since you reached your FRA in January 2025, and your retroactive benefits began in February 2025, there is no earnings test applicable to any of those months. You can earn any amount without reduction of benefits. Be aware that 50-85% of your Social Security benefits may still be taxable depending on your combined income, but that's a separate issue from the earnings test and applies to all beneficiaries regardless of age.

I tried for WEEKS to get someone at Social Security on the phone about a similar question last year. Constant busy signals, disconnects after waiting for an hour, offices with no appointments available... it was a nightmare. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much stress and the agent confirmed I didn't have to pay anything back since I was past FRA.

My mom worked full time after claiming SS at her full retirement age and never had to pay anything back. Earnings test doesn't apply once you hit FRA!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I feel so much better now understanding that since all my retroactive payments were for months AFTER I reached my full retirement age, the earnings test doesn't apply at all. I was getting myself all worked up after reading about someone who had to pay back benefits, but their situation must have been different. Really appreciate all the explanations!