Wow, this thread has been incredibly educational! I'm 61 and was planning to file at 62 while keeping my consulting work that brings in about $5,000/month. After reading everyone's experiences, especially the reality that you can receive $0 in benefits while still being locked into that permanent early filing reduction, I'm completely reconsidering my timeline. The math seems pretty clear - if you're earning significantly above the annual limit, there's really no advantage to filing early unless you're planning to drastically cut your income right away. What really struck me was Santiago's point about using these high-earning years to maximize retirement contributions instead of trying to claim reduced Social Security benefits you won't even receive. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and schedule an in-person appointment at my local SSA office to run my specific numbers. The idea of seeing the lifetime benefit comparisons laid out clearly sounds like exactly what I need to make an informed decision. Has anyone found that the local offices are more helpful than the national phone line for getting these detailed projections? I'm hoping to avoid the phone system nightmare that several people mentioned! Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community discussion has been far more valuable than anything I've found on the official SSA website.

This discussion has been incredibly valuable for understanding the real-world implications of the earnings test! I'm 60 and was considering filing at 62 while continuing my part-time work that brings in about $4,500/month. Reading through everyone's experiences has made it clear that the SSA's explanation of "withholding $1 for every $2 over the limit" doesn't capture how brutal this can be in practice - especially the fact that it's all-or-nothing, not a monthly reduction. What really opened my eyes was learning that even if benefits are completely withheld due to earnings, you're still permanently locked into that early filing reduction for life. So you could literally receive $0 for years while still getting penalized forever with a smaller benefit amount. That seems like the worst of both worlds! I'm definitely going to schedule an in-person appointment at my local SSA office based on all the positive feedback about getting personalized calculations there. The idea of seeing actual lifetime benefit projections for different scenarios sounds essential for making this decision properly. Has anyone found it helpful to bring a spouse or financial advisor to these appointments, or is it pretty straightforward to understand the information they provide? Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this thread should be required reading for anyone considering early filing while still working!

Great question and I'm glad you're planning ahead! As others have confirmed, your pension and 401k/IRA withdrawals won't count toward the earnings test during those two years before your FRA. One additional thing to consider: if you do decide to claim at 65, make sure you understand how the monthly earnings test works. The annual limit everyone mentions gets divided by 12, so if you have any part-time work, you need to stay under about $1,833 per month (based on the ~$22,000 annual limit). They look at it month-by-month in your first year of claiming, not just the annual total. Also, don't forget that once you hit your FRA at 67, any benefits that were withheld due to the earnings test will be gradually added back to increase your monthly payment for life. So even if you did go over the limit occasionally, it's not permanently lost money. With your pension and retirement savings, you seem well-positioned for retirement at 65 if that's what you decide!

As someone who just went through this exact decision process last year, I wanted to share my experience. I was in a very similar situation - eligible for pension at 65, substantial 401k balance, and FRA of 67. After reading through all the great advice here, I ultimately decided to wait until my FRA to claim Social Security. Instead, I'm living off my pension ($1,800/month) plus strategic withdrawals from my 401k. Yes, it means dipping into my retirement accounts earlier, but the permanent 13.3% reduction in SS benefits for claiming at 65 just didn't make financial sense given my family's longevity. One thing that helped me make the decision: I calculated my "break-even" point. For me, if I live past age 78, waiting until FRA will have provided more total lifetime benefits despite getting payments for 2 fewer years. Given that both my parents lived well into their 80s, the math favored waiting. The peace of mind knowing I'll get my full Social Security benefit for life was worth the temporary inconvenience of managing retirement account withdrawals for those two years. Just another perspective to consider as you make this important decision!

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies! I think I understand better now - I get 9 months where I can earn any amount, then after that I need to stay under $1,550 to keep benefits. I've scheduled a call with SSA through that Claimyr service someone mentioned to confirm everything before I accept this job. Really appreciate all the detailed explanations!

Just wanted to add a couple of important points for anyone else reading this thread: 1. **Report earnings immediately** - Don't wait until the end of the year! SSA requires you to report any work activity within 10 days of starting work, and then report monthly earnings by the 6th of the following month. Late reporting can cause overpayments that you'll have to pay back. 2. **Keep detailed records** - Track every paycheck, work expense, and any correspondence with SSA. If there's ever a dispute about your earnings or work status, having documentation is crucial. 3. **Consider getting help** - If your work situation is complicated (like irregular hours, self-employment, or multiple income sources), consider working with a disability advocate or attorney who specializes in SSA work incentives. The initial consultation is often free. The work incentives are really designed to help people transition back to work gradually, but the key is understanding and following the rules precisely. Good luck to everyone trying to get back into the workforce!

I went through this exact same confusion when I started my TWP two years ago! The "earned vs received" question drove me crazy because different SSA reps gave me different answers. Here's what I learned from actual experience: SSA's official policy says they count earnings when EARNED, but in practice, they almost always use the pay period end date on your paystub to determine which month to count the earnings toward. For your son's situation with the May 26-June 8 pay period paid on June 15th - SSA would likely count all of that toward June since June 8th is the pay period end date. My advice based on going through this: 1. Report every paystub through the my Social Security portal 2. Keep screenshots of everything you submit 3. If you're worried about a specific pay period crossing months AND the amount is close to the $1,110 threshold, add a note explaining the breakdown 4. Don't overthink it too much - the TWP is meant to help, not punish The most important thing is consistent reporting. I've never been asked for timesheets, just paystubs. Your son is lucky to have you helping him navigate this - it's confusing even for adults who've been dealing with it for years!

I work for a disability advocacy organization and deal with TWP questions regularly. The confusion about "earned vs received" is one of the most common issues we see, and honestly, SSA's inconsistent application of their own rules makes it worse. Here's what I tell clients: Officially, SSA counts wages when EARNED (when work is performed), but operationally, they typically use the pay period end date on paystubs unless there's a compelling reason to dig deeper. This means for your son's May 26-June 8 pay period, it would likely count toward June's TWP calculation since June 8 is the end date. A few practical tips from our experience: 1. Always report wages promptly - don't wait for "perfect" documentation 2. If a pay period crosses months AND puts you near the $1,110 threshold, include a brief note with the breakdown 3. Keep timesheets as backup, but don't stress if you don't have perfect records - SSA rarely requests them 4. Focus on consistent reporting rather than perfect precision The TWP is designed to be protective, not punitive. Even if a month unexpectedly counts as a TWP month, remember it's 9 months within a 60-month rolling period, so one "surprise" month won't derail the process. Your son is fortunate to have such a supportive parent helping him navigate this. Mental health conditions can make work attempts especially challenging, but the TWP provides good protections for people testing their work capacity.

I can understand the confusion - there's a lot of misinformation floating around about Social Security calculations! Let me add some clarity from someone who went through this recently. I'm 63 and just went through the detailed benefit calculation process with SSA. Your earnings from 60 until your FRA absolutely DO count toward your highest 35 years. The key difference people get confused about is the "indexing" - earnings before age 60 get adjusted upward for wage inflation, while earnings at 60+ are used at their actual dollar amount. But here's the important part: if your current $78,000 salary is higher than some of your earlier years (even after those earlier years are indexed for inflation), then yes, these recent years will boost your benefit calculation by replacing lower-earning years. I'd strongly recommend logging into your my.ssa.gov account to see your complete earnings history and get an updated benefit estimate. It shows exactly which years are being used in your top 35 calculation. In my case, my earnings from ages 60-63 replaced several low-earning years from my twenties, increasing my projected monthly benefit by about $200. Don't let the misinformation discourage you from working until your FRA if that's your plan - those higher-earning years can really pay off in retirement!

I'm so glad to see this question being asked! I just turned 62 and have been getting conflicting advice from friends and family about this exact issue. My financial advisor told me to keep working because my recent earnings would help boost my Social Security benefits, but my brother-in-law (who retired early) kept insisting that only earnings before 60 "really count." Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. It sounds like the key takeaway is that ALL earnings can potentially be part of your highest 35 years calculation, regardless of when you earned them. The indexing difference for pre-60 vs. post-60 earnings doesn't mean the later years count less - it's just a different method of calculation. I'm in a similar situation to the original poster - earning more now than I did in my earlier career years. I think I'll follow the advice here and check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to see exactly where I stand. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences and clearing up the confusion!