I began taking my Social Security benefit in February 2017 at age 63; then withdrew my application in October 2017 at age 64 and fully repaid the benefits since I became employed and did not need the benefit at that time. I am now (August 2019) age 66 and may be laid off later this year. If I start taking my benefits again in December 2019, will I be able to suspend if I become employed again or did the withdrawal and repayment negate my ability to suspend?

Hi,

No, regardless of when you start drawing your benefits you could still voluntarily suspend them between full retirement age (FRA) and age 70 in order to earn delayed retirement credits (DRC). The fact that you previously withdrew an application for retirement benefits would only prevent you from withdrawing a second application, it wouldn't interfere with your options regarding voluntary suspension of your benefits.

Note, however, that the soonest you could voluntarily suspend your benefits is effective with the month after the month that you request suspension. So, you wouldn't have the option of suspending your benefits retroactively and receiving DRCs for past months.

You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully explore and compare all of your various options in order to determine your optimal strategy for claiming your benefits.

Best, Jerry