FILING FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS EARLIER THAN FULL RETIREMENT AGE - EARNINGS LIMIT CAUTION

[GailL1]

If you are filing for your Social Security Retirement BEFORE your Full Retirement age, PLEASE keep in mind there is an Earnings Limit on how much you can make and not have some of your benefits clawed-back because you go over this earnings limit.

I understand that there is a need for some people to get money due to their finances and the cost of things right now.  But some folks don’t realize there is this earnings limit and then there are a lot of people who end up stopping their benefits because of this.

Stopping benefits if YOUNGER THAN FRA brings other problems which they may not be able to overcome.  So just make sure that if your are gonna file for EARLY retirement (before your FRA) and work at the same time that you keep the earnings limits in mind.

SSA.gov - 2025 Publication - How Work Affects Your Benefits 

SSA.gov- WITHDRAWAL of A Retirement Application IF LESS THAN FULL RETIREMENT AGE

SSA.gov - Cancel your benefits application 

If over your Full Retirement age, you can do a SS SUSPENSION and stop your benefits for them to start again at 70 or earlier.  

SSA.gov- Suspending Your Retirement Benefit Payments when over FRA but not yet 70