In March of 2018 and 2019, SSA recalculated my monthly benefit due to an increase in earnings. I had a minimal work experience, so those years increased my monthly benefit by $50 and $55/mo. respectively. My income increase for 2020 was about 3 times that of 2018 & 19, but, to date, I have not received an increase in monthly benefit. Someone told me that they review earnings in March and December, but everything I read says they review when they receive reported income for the year, in my case from my employer. Any ideas what's going on?

Hi. Most commonly, the automated process that Social Security uses to recalculate benefits for people who had earnings in the previous year is run in late July or August, and any increases are reflected in their benefit payment in September. I don't know whether or not that schedule will hold this year given Social Security's COVID related backlogs, so I guess we'll need to wait and see.

I don't know how or why your benefits were recomputed in March in past years, but I don't think that could have resulted from the normal automated process. Social Security can do manual recomputations if a person submits a written and signed request, and that's the only way that I know of to get your benefit rate recalculated any sooner than the normal July-August cycle.

Best, Jerry