Social Security overpayments
SSA is cutting my benefit in half for an overpayment because they say I made too much money working. What can I do?
Terry Says
Wait, I need more information. Did you elect to take your benefits early — before your full retirement age? In that case your benefits are reduced. See below from SSA.gov:
If you are under full retirement age for the entire year, we deduct $1 from your benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual limit.
For 2025 that limit is $23,400.
In the year you reach full retirement age, we deduct $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above a different limit, but we only count earnings before the month you reach your full retirement age.
If you will reach full retirement age in 2025, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $62,160.
Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.
Or are you talking about benefits you already received, and now you are getting a “clawback” because they overpaid you? In that case, were you a public employee, receiving a pension? Up until last year, that caused a reduction in benefits — but in many cases they never calculated the reduced amount. Now they are going after it!
Please clarify your situation.
