Dear Larry,
I began to receive my Social Security benefit of $1652 (with a COLA increase to $1679 in 2020) when I turned 66 in June 2019 (I needed the extra money for health issues), but continue to work full time (mainly for the medical insurance) and continue to pay SS & FICA taxes. What is the process for re-figuring my benefit or am I even entitled to an increase? I hope to continue my full time employment through June of 2020 which begs the same question for my 2021 SS benefits. Sincerely, C.Z.

Hi C.Z.,

Your Social Security retirement benefit rate can be recalculated following any year in which you had earnings that were higher than one of the previous years used to calculate your benefit amount. Social Security retirement benefits are calculated based on an average of a person's highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf), so you will only be due an increase if the amount that you earned this year was higher than one of your previous highest 35 years.

Social Security automatically recomputes benefit rates to include additional years of earnings, so you shouldn't need to do anything to receive any increases you're due. However, you may be able to speed up the process by submitting proof of your earnings (e.g. W-2 form for wages and/or tax return Schedule SE for self-employment) along with a written request for a manual recomputation of your benefit rate (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0300605570).

Best, Jerry