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The Daily Insight

At what age is social security not affected by income?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Mar 02, 2026

En español | You can earn any amount and not be affected by the Social Security earnings test once you reach full retirement age, or FRA, which is 66 and 2 months if you were born in 1955 and will gradually increase to 67 for people born in 1960 and later.

What happens if I make too much money on social security?

If you exceed the earnings limit, Social Security will hold off on sending your payment for as many months as it takes to “repay” the $1-for-$2 benefit withholding. Say you’re 64, collecting a monthly retirement benefit of $1,200 and working a part-time job that pays $25,000 a year.

What’s the income limit for Social Security at age 66?

If you receive Social Security benefits and work. The work limit for these earnings are $1,310 a month or $15,720 a year. If you collect Social Security before your full retirement age of 66 or 67, your benefits will be reduced by $1 for ever $2 that you make over that limit.

How old do you have to be to collect Social Security benefits?

If you can manage without receiving your Social Security benefits at full retirement age, you can wait until age 70. That will give you the maximum benefit each month. There’s no advantage to waiting past age 70 to start collecting benefits. 5 

Do you have to pay Social Security if you work past age 70?

Does Working Past Age 70 Affect Your Social Security Benefits? If you work past your full retirement age (FRA) and have earned income, you’ll still have to pay Social Security taxes, even if you’re already collecting benefits.

When does Social Security look at your income?

The first situation in which the Social Security Administration looks at your income is when you take benefits before you reach full retirement age while you’re still working. Earnings above certain threshold amounts that vary from year to year will trigger a loss of Social Security benefits.