Dear Rusty: I called the Social Security office, as well as went with my husband when he went to collect his Social Security. Because I work full-time (earning about $800 per week), the Social Security Administration (SSA) said I could not file for my Social Security (SS). Yet I seem to read articles all the […]
Dear Rusty: I called the Social Security office, as well as went with my husband when he went to collect his Social Security. Because I work full-time (earning about $800 per week), the Social Security Administration (SSA) said I could not file for my Social Security (SS). Yet I seem to read articles all the time about people doing so. My husband just filed for his benefits and is now collecting them. Out of the two of us, his Social Security will be larger. Please advise me.
Signed: Wanting my Benefits
Dear Wanting my Benefits: If you have not yet reached your SS full retirement age (FRA) and you are working full time, you are likely being affected by Social Security’s annual earnings test, which limits how much you can earn while collecting Social Security prior to your FRA. Your FRA is somewhere between age 66 and 67, depending on when you were born. The annual earnings limit for those collecting SS benefits prior to FRA in 2025 is $23,400 (changes yearly). And, if that is exceeded, the SSA will take away benefits equal to $1 for every $2 you are over the limit. If you applied for your benefits and are still working, and were denied, it’s likely because the SSA determined that your current annual earnings considerably exceed the earnings limit and, thus, you cannot collect benefits. That’s because the penalty for exceeding the limit would be more than your benefit amount. FYI, the earnings limit will go away when you reach your full retirement age so, after FRA, you can claim your benefits even if you are still working. Or if you stop working before your FRA you can collect your SS benefits at that time.
None of this means you are losing money, because your monthly SS payment will continue to grow until you later claim (e.g., after you stop working, or only work part-time), or until you reach 70 years of age. When you later claim, your monthly benefit will be higher and, depending on your longevity, you may recover what you didn’t get now because you are working. And that includes both your own SS retirement benefit and any spousal boost you may be entitled to from your husband.
So, my suggestion is this: as long as you are working full time and exceeding Social Security’s annual earnings limit, continue to wait to claim your Social Security. Then, when you reach your FRA (again, between 66 and 67, depending on the year you were born), or if you stop working before that, go ahead and apply for Social Security again. At that time, your application will be approved, and you will be awarded your own earned SS retirement amount plus any additional amount you may be due as your husband’s spouse. To be entitled to a spousal boost from your husband, your own FRA entitlement must be less than 50 percent of your husband’s FRA entitlement. But the amount you receive will be reduced if you claim before your full retirement age.
Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained, and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or any other governmental entity.
Russell Gloor