Ways you can lose your Social Security benefits

Did you know there are several ways you could lose your Social Security benefits? Millions of retirees count on Social Security as their main source of income, so it’s important to know what can cause you to lose some or all of your benefits. This year, almost 68 million people will receive a Social Security benefit each month. The vast majority of beneficiaries, roughly 75%, are retired workers who received an average monthly check of $1,918 as of June. But the size of that benefit varies depending on how long you worked, how much you made over your career and when you started collecting. It can also depend on other reasons like working a job while collecting benefits or being incarcerated. Here are four ways you could limit or lose your Social Security benefits:

Income exceeds benefit limits

For those who continue to work after their Social Security payments begin, it’s important to make sure your earnings don’t exceed the allowed limit. Social Security withholds benefits if your earnings exceed a certain level when you’re under your full retirement age. In 2024, the annual exempt amount is $22,320 for recipients who aren’t at their full retirement age. Anyone making more than that has $1 in benefits withheld for every $2 of earnings they’re over. For those who reach their full retirement age at some point in 2024, the exempt amount is $59,520. It’s worth noting that any benefits withheld while you continue to work aren’t lost. “Once you reach (full retirement age), your monthly benefit will be increased permanently to account for the months in which benefits were withheld,” according to the Social Security Administration.

SSI resource limits

To be eligible for SSI, you have to fall under the administration’s resource limit, which are things — like cash, bank accounts and personal property — that add value to your person. However, not all resources are counted for SSI, the Social Security Administration said. The SSA’s resource limit for countable resources is $2,000 for a single individual and $3,000 for a couple. Things that aren’t counted as resources include your home, one vehicle, household goods and burial spaces, the SSA said. If the value of your countable resources is over the allowable limit at the beginning of the month, you will not receive or be eligible for an SSI payment.

Recently divorced

Getting married and divorced impacts your Social Security benefits. If you get divorced, you won’t be able to collect your ex’s benefits if you weren’t married for 10 or more years, if you remarry or if you qualify for benefits worth more than what you’d receive from your ex.

Incarceration

If you are in jail or prison for more than 30 days, your Social Security and SSI benefits will likely be suspended, according to CNET. However, while your benefits may be suspended, your spouse and children will still receive them, For those whose Social Security benefits were suspended while incarcerated, you can request to have your payments resumed the month after your release, the report said. The same goes for SSI; however, payments will resume automatically once released from prison. The con here is that the payment amount will be partial and determined by your release date. The SSA will terminate all SSI benefits for criminals incarcerated for 12 or more consecutive months.