Iv been on SSD since 2015& turning 62 July 2021. My current SSD is 2,168 per month& have been able to work within the guidelines making 15,000 pre year free lance remotely Its very difficult to live on this amount..leaving in Seattle. My quest when I turn 62 can earn more without being penalized?
Thks

Hi. No, turning age 62 wouldn't enable you to earn more and still qualify for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits. To continue to qualify for SSDI benefits, which will automatically convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits when you reach full retirement age (FRA), you can't work and earn in excess of what Social Security defines as substantial gainful activity (SGA). The current monthly SGA limit for non-blind individuals is $1310. That amount doesn't increase simply because a person turns age 62, or any other age prior to FRA for that matter.

In theory, you could opt to switch to drawing Social Security retirement benefits instead of SSDI when you reach age 62. In that case you would be subject to the regular Social Security earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html) rather than the SGA test. The regular Social Security earnings test exempts the first $18960 that a person earnings in 2021 before withholding $1 of their benefits for each $2 that they earn in excess of $18960.

However, if you switch to drawing retirement benefits at age 62 your benefit rate will be reduced for age. SSDI benefits aren't reduced for age, so they're paid at 100% of your primary insurance amount (PIA). If you opted to switch to retirement benefits at age 62, your monthly benefit rate would effectively be cut by roughly 29%. Depending on your current SSDI monthly benefit rate, that loss in your monthly benefit amount may well more than offset the additional amount that you'd be allowed to earn if you switch from SSDI to retirement benefits.

Best, Jerry