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Our Social Security experts have answered more than 10,000 questions about Social Security over many years. Search for your questions and answers here.

Earnings Test

May 15, 2023

Do Short Term Disability Insurance Payments Count Toward The Annual Income Limit?

April 5, 2023

How Do I Know What My Last Day At Work Would Be?

March 25, 2023

Is My Wife's Severance Pay Considered As A 'Special Payment' By Social Security?

March 22, 2023

Can My Wife Collect Spousal Benefits While My Benefits Are Being Withheld Due To My Earnings?

March 12, 2023

Is There A Limit On My Earnings In The First Year Of Retirement?

March 9, 2023

How Will The Earnings Test Affect Me If I Get Vacation Pay?

March 6, 2023

Am I Limited To The Monthly Earnings Limit In The Months Prior To FRA?

March 3, 2023

How Much Less Will My Payment Be If I Earn $25,000?

February 23, 2023

Can You Confirm My Understanding Of The Rules?

February 5, 2023

How Much Can I Earn In 2023 Without Affecting My Pension?

January 20, 2023

Will My Benefits Be Reduced If I Earn More Than $21,240 Through May Of This Year?

January 11, 2023

Does It Sound Right That I Was Denied Widow's Benefits?

January 6, 2023

If I Receive Annuities Or Cash Out My Pension Will It Affect My SS Or Medicare Payments?

December 29, 2022

Can You Tell Me Which Is Right?

December 22, 2022

Will I Be Subject To A Penalty If I Earn More Than The Limit In The Months Before I Reach FRA?

December 19, 2022

What Happens To My Benefits Once I Make Over The Alloted Amount?

December 12, 2022

Does The Pay Check I Receive On January 5th 2023 Count Toward My Monthly Limit For December 2022?

December 11, 2022

When Will My Payments Resume?

December 4, 2022

How Does Social Security Count Our Work Limit?

November 13, 2022

Will My Accrued Vacation Pay Count Against My Social Security Earnings?

November 8, 2022

Will Any Money Be Taken Back If I File For Social Security In January?

October 29, 2022

Is There A Limit On How Much I Can Earn In The Months Prior To Starting My Benefits?

October 17, 2022

Is It True That My Wife's SS Benefits Are Reduced Until FRA Based On Our Joint Income?

October 4, 2022

When Does Social Security Start Counting The Extra Income You Can Make From Working?

September 28, 2022

Why Are Retirees Penalized For Continuing To Work?

August 4, 2022

Will Earning $150 A Month Negatively Affect My SS Benefits?

September 20, 2022

When Are Your Benefits Reduced If You Earn More Than The Limit?

September 18, 2022

How Does Social Security Calculate Hours For The Foreign Work Test?

August 22, 2022

How Will Earning $25,000 Annually Affect My Social Security Benefits?

August 7, 2022

Will Any Money Be Taken Out If I Retire Now?

August 8, 2022

Can I Start Collecting Social Security At Age 62 And Still Work My Full-Time Job?

August 6, 2022

Is There A Limit On How Much You Can Make Working Part-Time While On Social Security?

August 3, 2022

Can I Earn More Than $1630 Per Month When I Turn 65?

August 2, 2022

If I Collect Now Can I Still Work?

August 1, 2022

If I Start Social Security In March 2024, Will My Earnings In January and February 2024 Count Against Me?

July 7, 2022

Does PTO Short Term Disability Count As Earnings?

June 17, 2022

What Are Your Thoughts On My Situation?

May 21, 2022

Is There Any Way For Me To Shelter My Insurance Award So That I Won't Have To Give So Much To Social Security?

May 9, 2022

What Happens Now That I Exceeded The Earnings Test Limits?

April 19, 2022

Will The Income That My Wife And I Receive From Wisconsin's Medicaid Waiver Program Count Against Social Security's Earnings Test?

March 18, 2022

How Much Can I Make Before It Affects My Benefits?

March 17, 2022

How Will My Social Security Be Affected If I Work Until August?

February 23, 2022

Would I Be Able To Receive Survivor Benefits And Still Work?

February 19, 2022

Can I Work And Still Receive My Social Security Check?

January 22, 2022

Will I Lose Money For Working In The Months Before I Start Collecting?

January 17, 2022

Has This Rule Changed?

January 16, 2022

Should SSA Be Informed Every Month How Much You're Earning?

January 14, 2022

Will Social Security Count My Earnings For The Whole Year Or Just For The Months I Draw Benefits?

January 7, 2022

Can I Do Anything About Social Security Not Paying Me Any Benefits This Year?

January 6, 2022

Can I Collect My U.S. SS While Working In Canada If I Earn Less Than $18,900?

December 29, 2021

Does Short Term Disability Count As Earned Income Against The Earnings Limit?

December 21, 2021

At What Age Can I Work While On Social Security?

December 19, 2021

What Happens If I Accept A Raise In January?

December 12, 2021

Do Wages That Are Exempt From Social Security Taxes Count For Social Security's Earnings Test?

December 5, 2021

Is It False That You Can Collect Your Benefits Even If You Are Still Working?

December 3, 2021

Could You Explain What The Earnings Test Limit Would Be If I Retire Next Year?

November 29, 2021

If I Earn More Than The Annual Limt Next Year Will My Wife's Spousal Benefits Be Affected?

November 23, 2021

Are My Earnings Limited In Months That My Benefits Are Suspended?

November 23, 2021

Will The Income From Our LLC Affect My Wfe's Benefits If I'm The Only One Drawing A Salary?

November 10, 2021

Which FRA Is Used For The Earnings Test When The FRA For Survivor Benefits Is Different From The FRA For Retirement Benefits?

November 4, 2021

Does My New York Pension Count As Money Earned?

October 30, 2021

When Should I Take The Payment From A Settlement With A Former Employer?

October 23, 2021

Can You Explain Why A Surviving Spouse Can't Get Survivor Benefits If They Are Working Full Time?

October 7, 2021

Am I Wrong In My Thinking?

August 19, 2021

Would My Income As A Contractor Be Averaged When Applying The Special Monthly Earnings Test?

August 19, 2021

Is It Better For Me To Be In An LLC?

August 16, 2021

How Do I Document For SSA That My Income Doesn't Count For The Earnings Test?

August 3, 2021

What Impact Would It Have On My Benefits If I Suspend My Benefits And Increase My Earnings?

August 1, 2021

Which Months Of My Earnings Count Toward The Earnings Limit?

July 30, 2021

What Is The Income Limit Before I Lose Any Benefits?

July 15, 2021

How Much Can I Make A Year Without Being Penalized?

July 23, 2021

When Can I Start Working And Keep My Social Security?

July 22, 2021

What Is The Amount You Can Earn And Still Draw Your Benefits?

July 6, 2021

Should My Sister File For Survivor Benefits Even If She's Working?

June 27, 2021

Would I Be Able To Collect Benefits If I Retire From My Job And Become An Independent Contractor?

June 26, 2021

Can You Explain How The Earnings Test Works In The Year That You Reach Full Retirement Age?

June 10, 2021

Does The $18,960 Earned Income Limit Just Apply To Spouses?

June 10, 2021

What Type Of Income Counts Toward The Income Limit?

June 8, 2021

How Will Each Of My Family Members' Benefits Be Affected By The Earnings Test?

June 5, 2021

How Will It Affect My Widow's Benefits If I Work In France?

May 2, 2021

Would I Draw My Monthly Benefit Amount If I Have Met The Allowable Wages For The Year?

April 15, 2021

Will My Daughter And I Have To Pay Back Benefits If My Husband Makes More Than His Income Limit?

April 12, 2021

Will I Be Penalized Because Of My Earnings?

April 9, 2021

If I Reach FRA In December 2022 Can I Start My Benefits In January 2022?

March 30, 2021

Can I File For Survivor Benefits At Age 60 And Continue To Work?

March 21, 2021

If My Wife Files Early And Continues Working, How Is Her Benefit Calculated At FRA?

March 14, 2021

Am I Right That I Can Start Survivor Benefits When I Reach Age 66 And Not Be Subject To The Earnings Test?

March 11, 2021

If My Benefits Are Withheld Due To My Earnings, What Months Could My Family Members Be Paid?

March 10, 2021

Will My Pensions Be Considered

February 17, 2021

What Went Wrong Here?

February 10, 2021

If I Start Drawing My Benefits In June 2021 How Much Will I Actually Be Able To Keep?

January 24, 2021

If I Apply For Benefits In April 2022 And Earn $30,000 Will My Benefits Be Reduced?

January 7, 2021

Would Social Security Withhold My Husband's Benefits Due To His Earnings From January To March?

December 28, 2020

How Much Can I Earn In 2021 And Still Receive All Of My Benefits?

December 10, 2020

Does Social Security Count Gross Annual Earnings Or Is It Monthly?

December 1, 2020

Is It Correct That It Won't Count Toward The Earnings Limit If I Take Vacation Pay?

November 11, 2020

Does The Higher Earnings Test Limit Apply For The 12 Month Period Prior To The Month You Reach Full Retirement Age?

November 4, 2020

How Will Social Security Calculate The Amount To Be Repaid To Me At Full Retirement Age?

October 27, 2020

Will My PLOP Payment Affect My Social Security Benefits For This Year And Next Year?

October 19, 2020

Does Signing A Release Make My Severance Pay A Special Wage Payment?

About the Author

Laurence J. Kotlikoff 

Laurence J. Kotlikoff is a William Fairfield Warren Professor and Professor of Economics at Boston University, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the Econometric Society, and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Professor Kotlikoff received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 1977. Kotlikoff is the Director of the Fiscal Analysis Center.
A New York Times Bestselling author, he has written nineteen books and hundreds of professional articles and op-eds. He is a frequent television and radio guest. His columns have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, London Financial Times, the Boston Globe, Bloomberg, Forbes, Yahoo.com, Fortune, and other major publications. In 2014, The Economist named him one of the world's 25 most influential economists