Is it possible to make too much money to collect Social Security?
Asked by: Johnathan Gottlieb | Last update: October 12, 2025Score: 4.4/5 (61 votes)
What is the maximum I can earn and still collect Social Security?
Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn and still receive your benefits. You work and earn $32,320 ($8,920 more than the $23,400 limit) during the year.
Do you lose Social Security benefits if you make too much money?
If you work, and are at full retirement age or older, you may keep all of your benefits, no matter how much you earn. If you're younger than full retirement age, there is a limit to how much you can earn and still receive full Social Security benefits.
How much money can I make without affecting my Social Security in 2024?
Social Security earned income limit in 2024 is $22k. But only YOUR income will count toward that limit, not your spouse's if you don't know the difference between Social Security ACTIVE and PASSIVE income.
At what income level does Social Security stop?
The Social Security tax limit refers to the maximum amount of earnings that are subject to Social Security tax. For 2024, the Social Security tax limit is $168,600. Workers earning less than this limit pay a 6.2% tax on their earnings.
Working While Receiving Social Security (The New 2024 Rules)
Can your income be too high for Social Security?
If you will reach full retirement age in 2025, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $62,160. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.
How do I get the $16728 Social Security bonus?
Specifically, a rumored $16,728 bonus that had people wondering if it was true or not in 2024? Sadly, there's no real “bonus” that retirees who receive Social Security can collect.
What is the 5 year rule for Social Security?
The Social Security 5-year rule refers specifically to disability benefits. It requires that you must have worked five out of the last ten years immediately before your disability onset to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
When my husband dies, do I get his Social Security and mine?
You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement.
Is it better to collect Social Security at 62 or 67?
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
What are the three ways you can lose your Social Security?
- No. 1: Keep working while taking benefits early. ...
- No. 2: Be a substantially lower-earning spouse. ...
- No. 3: Be alive in 2034. ...
- Social Security still provides an important foundation for retirement.
How much can you make on Social Security and still get extra help?
You should contact Social Security for other resource exclusions. What is the income limit? To be eligible for Extra Help, your annual income must be limited to $22,590 for a person or $30,660 for a married couple living together.
What kind of income reduces Social Security benefits?
Only earned income is taken into consideration when it comes to your Social Security benefits. This means income earned from wages, salaries, and tips from a full-time, part-time, contract, freelance, or self-employed job.
At what age is Social Security no longer taxed?
Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
At what age can you earn unlimited money and still collect Social Security?
For those born on the second day of 1960 or later, it is 67. If you begin benefits before reaching FRA and continue working, then the Social Security earnings limit applies, and it will reduce your benefits if you earn too much. In 2025, the Social Security earnings limit is $23,400 annually (or $1,950 monthly).
How do you pay back Social Security if you make too much money?
- Use the link in your billing notice or visit Pay.gov.
- Enter 'Social Security' in the search box.
- Click on “Continue” under the Repay Your Social Security Overpayment Online section.
- Follow the instructions on the following page and click “Continue to the Form.”
How much does a wife get of her husband's Social Security if he dies?
Surviving spouse, any age, with a child younger than age 16, gets 75% of the worker's benefit amount. Child gets 75% of the worker's benefit amount. There's a limit to the benefits we can pay to you and other family members each month. The limit varies between 150% and 180% of the deceased worker's benefit amount.
What not to do when your spouse dies?
- Not Obtaining Multiple Copies of the Death Certificate.
- 2- Delaying Notification of Death.
- 3- Not Knowing About a Preplan for Funeral Expenses.
- 4- Not Understanding the Crucial Role a Funeral Director Plays.
- 5- Letting Others Pressure You Into Bad Decisions.
What is the loophole for Social Security spousal benefits?
The first exception, which can be deemed as the Social Security spousal benefits loophole, works where an individual who remarries at 60 or later may still be entitled to Social Security survivors' benefits if the second marriage ends before the death of the first spouse.
What is the new rule for Social Security in 2024?
The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax will increase to $168,600 in 2024 from $160,200 in 2023, which will mainly impact those with high salaries. Workers pay a 7.65% FICA tax from their paychecks, with 6.2% of that going to Social Security.
How much Social Security does a wife get if she never worked?
A wife with no work record or low benefit entitlement on her own work record is eligible for between one-third and one-half of her spouse's Social Security benefit.
What disqualifies you from Social Security?
Some American workers do not qualify for Social Security retirement benefits. Workers who don't accrue the requisite 40 credits (roughly 10 years of employment) are not eligible for Social Security. Some government and railroad employees are not eligible for Social Security.
Can two wives collect Social Security from one husband?
Each survivor benefit can be up to 100% of your benefit. The amount may be reduced if the women start benefits before their own full retirement age, but they don't have to share — the amount isn't reduced because you've had more than one spouse.
What are the three ways you can lose your Social Security disability?
The termination of benefits in the Social Security disability program is based predominantly on four factors: conversion to the retirement program (that is, attainment of full retirement age), death, medical recovery, and work recovery.
Who are the never beneficiaries of Social Security?
Ninety-five percent of never-beneficiaries are individuals whose earnings histories are insufficient to qualify for benefits. Late-arriving immigrants and infrequent workers comprise the vast majority of these insufficient earners.