Can you’re employed and gather Social Safety advantages on the similar time? The brief reply is sure, but it surely depends upon your private scenario. In some instances, staff who obtain retirement advantages, or different varieties of Social Safety advantages, can see some or all of their month-to-month advantages quickly go away.
That is the place the Social Safety earnings take a look at is available in. In a nutshell, relying in your age and the way a lot earned revenue you may have, some or all your Social Safety advantages might be withheld.
Does the earnings take a look at apply to you? And if it does, what are you able to count on to occur to your Social Safety advantages? Here is a fast rundown of what all working seniors must know.

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The 2025 Social Safety earnings take a look at
For the needs of the Social Safety earnings take a look at, beneficiaries who’ve utilized for retirement advantages match into three classes. Every class has completely different guidelines and limitations on the subject of the potential withholding of advantages. So step one in determining how the earnings take a look at might have an effect on you is to find out which class you fall into, expressed as such:
- You’ll attain your full Social Safety retirement age after.
- You’ll attain (or have reached) your full Social Safety retirement age throughout.
- You reached full retirement age earlier than.
Should you’re within the third class, it is a simple reply: The Social Safety earnings take a look at doesn’t apply to you. You may work and earn as a lot cash as potential, and it will not have an effect on your Social Safety funds by any means.
Should you’re in one of many first two classes, the overall thought is that some or all your Social Safety advantages might be withheld in case your revenue exceeds a sure threshold.
Here is what I imply. If you’ll attain your full retirement age after 2025, the earnings take a look at is essentially the most restrictive. You may earn as much as $23,400 for the yr, or $1,950 per 30 days, with no influence to your advantages. Past that, $1 of your Social Safety advantages might be withheld for each $2 in earnings.
For instance, in the event you earn $30,000 in 2025 and will not attain full retirement age through the yr, you’ll have exceeded the earnings take a look at threshold by $6,600. Which means $3,300 could be withheld out of your Social Safety checks.
Lastly, in the event you attain your full retirement age throughout 2025, the earnings take a look at restrict is way increased at $62,160, or $5,180 per 30 days, and solely months earlier than your beginning month are thought-about. In different phrases, in case your birthday was April 12, solely earnings from January by March are topic to the earnings take a look at. Moreover, for earnings above the edge, $1 is withheld for each $3 in extra earnings.
Must you wait to say Social Safety in the event you’re nonetheless working?
First, I wish to level out that I intentionally used the phrase “withheld” when discussing the earnings take a look at limits. Should you exceed the earnings take a look at limits and get a decrease Social Safety profit consequently, the withheld advantages are usually not essentially misplaced. When you attain full retirement age, your month-to-month Social Safety fee will probably be adjusted upward to replicate any withheld cash.
Second, there is no good reply to the query of whether or not it is best to declare Social Safety whilst you’re nonetheless working if the earnings take a look at is more likely to have an effect on you. Relying in your monetary scenario, it might actually make sense to say advantages even when among the cash is more likely to be withheld. However then again, in the event you’re working and do not essentially want the additional cash, it might make extra monetary sense to attend.
The underside line is that the Social Safety earnings take a look at is a giant think about figuring out whether or not older adults who’re nonetheless working ought to declare advantages earlier than full retirement age. But it surely is not the solely issue. It is essential to contemplate your monetary scenario, household scenario, well being, and extra to determine the perfect transfer for you.