I retired from the post office in September of 2018. I have not and do not plan to work during my retirement. Will the estimate I received from SSA for benefits at age 62 still be the same when I apply for them in 4 years.

Hi,

Probably not exactly. Social Security benefits are based on an average of your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings on which you paid Social Security taxes (https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/awifactors.html). Your earnings will be indexed based on the average wage index in the year you reach age 60, and that figure won't be known until shortly prior to the year you reach age 62. Therefore, estimates provided prior to when a person reaches age 62 are exactly that, an estimate.

Also, Social Security frequently uses assumed future earnings in their estimates. In other words, they assume that you will continue earning the same amount that you earned in the most recent year posted to your earnings record until you retire. So, if Social Security used assumed future earnings in your estimate that don't materialize because you've retired, then your estimate may be too high.

Lastly, you don't mention whether or not you paid Social Security taxes on all of your earnings from the post office, but if you had earnings that were exempt from Social Security taxes and you receive a pension based on those non-covered earnings, then your Social Security benefit rate could be reduced due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Benefit estimates provided by Social Security do not account for any reductions resulting from WEP, so if you receive a non-covered pension then your estimate would almost certainly be too high.

Best, Jerry