Larry,
I am being forced to retire March 2019 due to a medical condition from an open L&I work injury. I turned 65 October 2018. I will have worked 31 years and 6 months and eligible for my monthly pension benefit that will be $2,800 per month. I want to postpone getting social security as long as I can (hoping to work till I am 68). However if i cannot find a job to augment my pension I will have to find some sort of work right away. What date does social security start calculating you wages to see if you go over the annual limit on what I can earn without paying anything back?

Hi,

In the year you reach full retirement age (FRA), which would be 2019 in your case, your earnings from January through the month prior to the month you reach FRA counts toward the Social Security earnings test exempt amount. The 2019 exempt amount for people reaching FRA next year is $46,920, so you could earn up to that amount from January through September 2019 without affecting your eligibility to draw reduced benefits prior to your FRA. And, starting with October 2019 you could draw your benefits regardless of how much you earn.

Before filing, though, you should strongly consider using our software to explore your options and determine your best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry