Key Points
You’re allowed to work and collect Social Security at the same time.
Once you reach your full retirement age, you can earn any amount of money without a withholding of benefits.
If you’re working while Social Security prior to full retirement age, you’ll be subject to an income threshold.
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A lot of people wait until they’ve stopped working to sign up for Social Security. However, you don’t necessarily have to do that.
If you’re in a lower-paying job, you may decide to claim Social Security to supplement your income. Or, you might have another reason for wanting your benefits sooner even if you’re still collecting a steady paycheck from an employer.
In this Reddit post, we have someone whose partner was born in 1958. The partner is still working and wants to continue working. However, the poster is wondering if their partner will lose out on Social Security if they file for benefits and continue working.
The answer is that the poster’s partner doesn’t have anything to worry about. They should be able to collect Social Security in full, regardless of how much money they earn.
How Social Security works when you still have a job
The Social Security Administration allows people to collect benefits while holding down a job. Once you reach full retirement age (FRA), you can earn any amount of money without risking withheld benefits.
Your FRA hinges on your year of birth. The poster’s partner was born in 1958, so their FRA is 66 and 8 months.
At this point, they should be beyond that age, which means the poster’s partner should not have to worry about how much they’re earning. Whether they bring home $1,000 a month or $10,000, it should not impact their Social Security benefits in a negative way.
In fact, depending on how much the poster’s partner earns, that income could eventually lead to larger Social Security checks. This could be the case if the poster’s partner is earning more money now than they did for much of their career.
But while the poster’s partner doesn’t have to worry about withheld Social Security benefits due to working, anyone receiving benefits before reaching FRA is subject to an income limit known as the earnings test. And exceeding that limit could result in withheld Social Security benefits.
In 2025, the limit for the Social Security earnings test is $23,400. Beyond that, recipients risk having $1 in Social Security withheld per $2 of earnings.
That limit is higher for people reaching FRA this year. In that case, it’s $62,160, and beyond that, recipients risk having $1 in Social Security withheld per $3 of earnings.
Withheld benefits under the earnings test are not lost forever. People in that situation should see their benefits increase once they reach FRA. However, it’s still an inconvenience to lose some of that money initially.
Know the rules
There’s no need to give up a job you love because you’re getting ready to claim Social Security. However, it’s important to know how Social Security works when you’re still earning a paycheck from an employer.
You may also want to reconsider an early Social Security claim if you’re still gainfully employed, since filing before FRA results in reduced monthly benefits for life. In that situation, increasing your hours or making other changes might make it possible to wait on Social Security a bit longer, thereby boosting your benefits for the rest of your retirement in the process.
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