Ask Larry

Can I Suspend My Benefits Temporarily?

I started collecting SS benefits @ age 65 yrs 7months normal retirement is 66 for me. I am now 67. I was offered a temporary job of 6-8 wks. Can I suspend my SS for a month or two? Can I still have medicare deducted? I will have SS taken out of my temp job. when I go back on SS would I eventually receive more in SS ? Dale Thank You

Hi Dale,

Yes, you can suspend your benefits anytime between full retirement age (FRA) and age 70 in order to earn delayed retirement credits (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/delayret.html). There is no limit on earnings after you reach FRA, though, so you aren't required to suspend your benefits if you go back to work.

If you do elect to voluntarily suspend your benefits, you would need to pay your Medicare premiums during the period of suspension.

The earnings from your temporary job may or may not result in an increase in your benefit rate. Social Security retirement benefits are based on a person's highest 35 years of wage-adjusted earnings, so your benefit rate will only increase if you earn more than you did in one of your previous highest 35 earnings years (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf).

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
May 31 2017 - 7:35am
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