Registration for social security It’s not easy, but once you get past all the bureaucratic hurdles, you should get started receive benefit checks every month. After those Social Security benefits OR Additional safety insurance the checks become part of yours monthly budgetyou don’t want to lose them.
If you are actively receiving Social Security benefits, you should be aware of circumstances that could lead to the termination or suspension of your Social Security checks. Below are the top four actions that can cause you to lose Social Security benefits and whether or not you can reinstate them later.
Furthermore, find out how much your Social Security benefits will increase in 2025 AND How to claim Social Security benefits for eligible children.
If your income changes, you may lose Social Security benefits
While you can continue to work and receive Social Security benefitsIf you start earning more than the annual income limit, your benefits may be reduced or stopped entirely in certain situations. THE the limits change depending on certain factorsfor example if you are under or over 62, the minimum retirement age.
Below is an overview of the income limits imposed on specific benefits.
What are the limits for Supplemental Security Income?
Eligibility for SSI typically requires that you earn less than $1,971 per month from work. The limit is increased for couples, but if you exceed that limit you may no longer be eligible for SSI. You should be notified of any benefit reduction or if you become ineligible due to reaching the income limit.
Note: For every $2 you earn from work, $1 will be reduced from your SSI payment. Working includes any job you have. You are required to promptly report any changes to your monthly income and your living situation.
What are the income limits for Social Security Disability Insurance?
SSDI recipients have more to work with when it comes to earning money from work. If you find a job while receiving SSDI, you will be able to do so maintain benefits for up to nine monthswhich the Social Security Administration calls a “work probationary period.” For 2024, any month you earn more than $1,110 in gross salary will count toward this nine-month probationary period. Please note that the months do not have to be consecutive, but must fall within a continuous five-year period. During these nine months, there is no limit to how much you can earn while maintaining your benefits.
After your work probationary period, you will enter a 36-month “extended eligibility period.” During this period, if you exceed the EPE earnings limit, you will not be eligible for SSDI payments for that month. In 2024, the EPE limit is $1,550 per month or $2,590 per disability due to blindness.
If you continue to earn over the limit after your EPE expires, your SSDI payments will stop completely, but if you can’t continue working, you can restart your benefits.
Resource limits could also impact your Social Security
In addition to an income limit, to be eligible for SSI, you must fall under what the administration calls “resource limit.” Resources that Do Counting toward the limit includes cash, bank accounts, stocks, mutual funds, U.S. savings bonds, land, life insurance, personal property, vehicles, and anything else you own that could be exchanged for cash and used for food or housing, the administration said.
Assets that don’t count include the home you live in and the land it sits on, a vehicle (if you or a family member uses it for transportation), household goods and personal effects, and life insurance policies with a combined face value of $1,500 or less.
To be eligible, the SSI resource limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. If you exceed that limit, you must spend your resources to be eligible. Second a recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesAn average of 70,000 beneficiaries lose benefits each year because they exceed the limit. Congress has proposed legislation This would, for example, raise the limit to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples, but so far the changes have not been signed into law.
Divorce can change your Social Security status
Your marital status can and will affect your Social Security benefits, including divorce. Some things would prevent you from collecting your ex-spouse’s benefits:
- You haven’t been married for 10 years or more.
- If you remarry, you will not be able to get the benefits of your previous marriage. This may change if your current marriage ends in divorce, annulment, or the death of your partner.
- You are entitled to benefits and the amount you receive will be more than your ex-spouse.
You can lose Social Security if you are arrested or sentenced to prison
If you go to jail or prison, your Social Security benefits may be affected. If you are incarcerated for more than 30 days, the administration may suspend your Social Security and SSI benefits.
Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance while incarcerated
If your benefits are suspended, you can ask to have them reinstated for the next month after your release from jail or prison. Something to note is that even if your benefits are suspended during incarceration, your spouse or children will continue to receive them for as long as they are eligible.
Supplemental security income
While you are incarcerated, your SSI benefits will be suspended, but your payments will resume when you are released and you won’t have to wait until the next month. The payment amount will be determined by the release date and will only be a partial payment.
If you remain in jail or prison for more than 12 consecutive months, the administration will terminate your SSI benefits. When you are released, you will need to contact the Social Security Administration and start a new application.
What’s more, don’t miss the Social Security Payment Schedule and the Medicare 2025 changes you should know about.
