Exceeding income or asset limits: The most common reason someone loses their benefits is by having too much income. SSDI beneficiaries may lose their benefits if they experience an increase in income from any source that pushes them over the individual income or asset limit.
Benefits for insured workers and their spouses are reduced by 5.0 percent each in the fourth and fifth years of early benefit receipt. Benefits can also be reduced if there are substantial earnings in retirement or if the beneficiary is entitled to pensions from employment not covered under the Social Security system.
Your Social Security check will decrease if you owe certain debts like back taxes or student loans. Taking your Social Security benefits early can reduce your payments by up to 30%. A higher Medicare premium triggered by higher income can reduce your monthly Social Security check.
One of the key drivers of that mismatch between revenues and expenditures is the nation's aging population and the corresponding decline in the ratio of workers to Social Security beneficiaries.
If no changes to the system are made, the Social Security Administration will be unable to pay scheduled benefits in full and on time starting in 2035; however, that doesn't mean you won't get any benefits.
Social Security's special minimum benefit pays at least $49.40 per month in 2023 and $50.90 in 2024. Social Security's special minimum benefit tops out at $1,033.50 per month in 2023 and $1,066.50 in 2024. You'll receive 100% of the benefit if you file at full retirement age or later.
For a $75,000 annual salary, this equates to $1,003.50. Next, they pay 32% of your earnings between $1,115 and $6,721. This adds another $1,643.20, bringing your total monthly benefit to $2,646.70, or $31,760.40 annually if you retire at full retirement age. Your benefits can vary based on when you start taking them.
Reduced Benefits
If no changes are made before the fund runs out, the most likely result will be a reduction in the benefits that are paid out. If the only funds available to Social Security in 2033 are the current wage taxes being paid in, the administration would still be able to pay around 75% of promised benefits.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.
Resource limits could also impact your Social Security
If you exceed that limit, you need to spend down your resources to be eligible. According to a recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 70,000 beneficiaries on average lose their benefits each year because they exceed the limit.
You can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. But, if you're younger than full retirement age, and earn more than certain amounts, your benefits will be reduced. The amount that your benefits are reduced, however, isn't lost.
How We Deduct Earnings From Benefits. In 2025, if you're under full retirement age, the annual earnings limit is $23,400. If you will reach full retirement age in 2025, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $62,160.
Social Security withholds benefits if your earnings exceed a certain level when you're under your full retirement age. In 2024, the annual exempt amount is $22,320 for recipients who aren't at their full retirement age. Anyone making more than that has $1 in benefits withheld for every $2 of earnings they're over.
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).
Working After Starting Benefits
If you're younger than full retirement age, the IRS deducts $1 from your benefit for each $2 you earn above $21,240. Beginning the month you reach full retirement age, your earnings will no longer reduce your Social Security benefit, no matter how much you earn.
The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $4,018. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $2,831. If you retire at age 70 in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $5,108.
Although many of the programs base benefit amounts and eligibility to work history, there are some instances where a person who has never worked can collect benefits. One program that provides benefits to people, not based on their work history, is Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
According to the SSA 2022 fact sheet, the average monthly amount for SSDI is $1,358. Your benefits could be less or more than the average. The maximum Social Security benefit is $4,194 per month for a worker retiring at full retirement age.
The amount a person receives in Social Security benefits is not directly affected by their current income or wealth. Therefore, even if someone is a millionaire or billionaire, they can still receive Social Security benefits if they have a qualifying work history.
If a member is qualified, the amount of monthly pension will be the highest result of the following formula: 300 + (20% x AMSC*) + (2% x AMSC) x (CYS** – 10); or. 40% x AMSC; or. Minimum pension (P1,200 if with at least 10 CYS or P2,400 if with at least 20 CYS).
Can I retire on 500k plus Social Security? As we have established, retiring on $500k is entirely feasible. With the addition of Social Security benefits, this becomes even more of a possibility. In retirement, Social Security benefits can provide an additional $1,900 per month, on average.