US Social Security
Benefits and Disability Assistance

You Can Work and Get Social Security At The Same Time

You can work while you receive Social Security retirement (or survivors) benefits. When you do, it could mean a higher benefit for you in the future. Higher benefits can be important to you later in life and increase the future benefit amounts your family and your survivors could receive.

While you are working, your earnings will reduce your benefit amount only until you reach your full retirement age. After you reach full retirement age they recalculate your benefit amount to leave out the months when they reduced or withheld benefits due to your excess earnings.

They use a formula to determine how much your benefit must be reduced:

     * If you are under full retirement age for the entire year, they deduct $1 from
        your benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual limit.

For 2009, that limit is $14,160.

     * In the year you reach full retirement age, they deduct $1 in benefits for
        every $3 you earn above a different limit, but they only count earnings
        before the month you reach your full retirement age.

If you will reach full retirement age in 2009, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $37,680. (If you were born in 1943, your full retirement age is 66 years.)

     * Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your
        benefits with no limit on your earnings.

If you are not already receiving benefits, be sure to contact us at the beginning of the year you reach full retirement age. Even if you are still working, you may be able to receive some or all of your benefits for the months before you reach full retirement age.

You can continue to work and earn above the annual earnings limit and still get some of your benefits.

Let's look at a couple of examples: You are receiving Social Security retirement benefits every month in 2009 and you.

     * Are under full retirement age all year. You are entitled to $800 a month in
       benefits ($9,600 for the year).

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