--- title: 'Claiming Social Security at 62 While Still Working: What Happens to Your Check' description: If you claim Social Security before reaching full retirement age and you're still working, some of your benefits may be withheld. authors: - name: Marc Guberti url: https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/ bio: Marc Guberti is a personal finance writer who hosts Breakthrough Success, a podcast where he teaches listeners how to grow their businesses and achieve personal transformations. at_money_since: 2024 articles: 448 covers: - Retirement - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Shopping - Taxes published: '2026-10-27T13:00:35.000Z' section: Retirement word_count: 504 canonical: https://money.com/claim-social-security-at-62-while-working/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Stressed and Worried Senior Woman Calculating Domestic Expenses, Sitting at Dining Table in the kitchen.](https://img.money.com/2026/10/Explainer-Social-Security-62.jpg) You can claim Social Security the moment you turn 62, even if you are still working. However, getting government checks while working has trade-offs, which may include a portion of benefits being withheld if you are still bringing in a salary. Claiming early may be the right move for some people, but it’s important to understand the full picture before making that significant financial decision. ## The 2027 limits If you claim Social Security before reaching full retirement age, and you still earn a salary, some of your benefits may be withheld. This does not mean that you permanently lose your benefits. Any withheld benefits are redistributed across future Social Security checks when you reach full retirement age. Withholding starts when your income exceeds $25,560 in 2027, excluding your Social Security check. Once you reach that threshold, $1 is withheld for every $2 earned. In the year you are approaching full retirement age, the only threshold you have to worry about is $67,920, at which point $1 will be withheld for every $3 in excess earnings. Let’s look at an example. If a worker earns $35,560 at age 63 in 2027, they are $10,000 over the first threshold, which means $5,000 will be withheld from their Social Security benefits. For most people in their early 60s, that translates into multiple months of Social Security checks being withheld. This withholding can be significant for people who are on tight budgets and need Social Security to keep up with living expenses. It can be an unpleasant surprise for many people, especially individuals with higher annual salaries who are still living paycheck to paycheck. ## How you receive the withheld money back Withheld benefits return when you reach full retirement age. That’s when Social Security raises your monthly benefit to credit the withheld months, and you get to keep that Social Security boost for the rest of your life. Withholding limits will not apply anymore, even if you choose to work when you reach full retirement age. It can be good in the long run to have a portion of Social Security withheld, assuming those withholdings do not affect your ability to cover daily expenses. For many people, it may make sense to accept a job promotion, work extra hours or pick up a side hustle while receiving Social Security without letting withholding scare them away from the opportunity to earn a higher income during the last few years of their career. ## Is claiming early worth it? It’s often better to wait before claiming Social Security if you are still earning a paycheck. Most of your benefits may be withheld, depending on how much you earn. Also, your Social Security checks will continue to grow faster in the background if you wait to claim. But for others, claiming early makes sense. It depends on your specific situation. If you decide to claim Social Security early, it’s a good idea to report your expected earnings to the Social Security Administration upfront. 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