1. Home
  2. More
  3. How to Undo Your Social Security Claim in 4 Steps
  • Sign up
  • Sign in
Money Talks News
  • Popular
  • Latest
    • Coronavirus
    • Ask Stacy
    • Make
    • Save
    • Borrow
    • Grow
    • Live
    • More
  • Deals
    • Automotive
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Computers
    • Electronics
    • Everything Else
    • Financial Services
    • Gaming & Toys
    • Health & Beauty
    • Home & Garden
    • Movies, Music & Books
    • Office & Supplies
    • Special Occasion
    • Sports & Fitness
    • Store Events
    • Travel & Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Solutions
  • Academy
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Search our site
Seniors holding hands in pool4 Simple Steps for a More Comfortable Retirement
Happy older investor5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $100,000
10 Amazing Ways to Build Wealth at Any Age10 Amazing Ways to Build Wealth at Any Age
Senior standing beside window5 Retirement Planning Mistakes You’ll Regret Forever

How to Undo Your Social Security Claim in 4 Steps

Yes, some — not all — beneficiaries can pull out and reapply later. Here's how, step-by-step.

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Marilyn Lewis • May 23, 2022

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email Share on Pinterest Printable version available to members PDF version available to members
Older couple worried about Social Security and expenses
Andrii Zastrozhnov / Shutterstock.com

What if you signed up for Social Security benefits and now regret the decision? Is a “do-over” possible?

Suppose, for example, you didn’t work during the pandemic, and you applied for Social Security because you needed the income. Now, you are able to return to work and want to let your Social Security benefits keep growing so your retirement checks will be bigger.

Can you stop taking the benefit and sign up again later? Yes, some people — but not everyone — can do this.

We asked Russell Settle, an expert on Social Security claiming strategies, how this option — known as withdrawing your Social Security retirement application — works, and who is eligible. Settle is a partner in Social Security Choices, a company that helps workers plan how to maximize benefits.

Settle recommends following these steps if you are thinking of withdrawing your application.

1. Get to know the rules

Businessman reading documents
Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock.com

First, find out if you are eligible and how withdrawing would affect you.

Call your local Social Security office and ask what is at stake. Here are some basic rules:

  • Not everyone is eligible. “With the current law, you’ve got 12 months once you start your benefits to change your mind,” Settle says. If you aren’t eligible to withdraw, another option — “suspending” benefits — might work for you.
  • It will cost you. You’ll have to pay back the money you received from Social Security. This includes:
    • Monthly Social Security retirement checks you’ve received
    • Medicare premiums withheld from benefit checks
    • Money that your family, including a spouse or children, received based on your Social Security application
    • Income tax withheld from your benefit checks
    • Money garnished from benefit checks to make court-ordered payments for child support, alimony or victim restitution, or to repay certain debts you owed to the federal government
  • Just one do-over is allowed. Only one withdrawal from Social Security is allowed in a lifetime. Before 2010, things were different. At that time, you could start, stop (repaying what you had received) and restart any number of times. This allowed you to treat Social Security, “basically, (as) an interest-free loan that you could start up again at a higher benefit,” Settle says.
  • Your Medicare may be affected. Social Security and Medicare are closely linked. If your Medicare Part B premiums are paid out of your Social Security checks, you’ll have to pay those premiums out-of-pocket after withdrawing. Settle recommends setting up an automatic payment with your bank, since you could lose Part B Medicare coverage if the payments lapse.
  • You might lose your SSI. Withdrawing from Social Security could disqualify you from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability payments.

2. Download the form

Senior man working on a laptop
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

Applying isn’t difficult, Settle says. Just find the simple two-page form at the Social Security site, Form SSA-521.

Download and print the form.

Senior mother and daughter
See Also:
Am I Eligible for My Mother’s Social Security Benefit?

3. Fill out the form

Happy senior couple using computer at home
Goksi / Shutterstock.com

Fill out the form. It asks the type of benefit you are withdrawing from — Social Security, in this case — and asks whether you want to continue using Medicare.

You’ll also be asked to give a reason for withdrawing — that you want to continue working, for instance.

Print it out and mail it to your local Social Security office. “Keep a copy of it, that’s for sure,” Settle advises.

4. Be patient

Worried senior woman
fizkes / Shutterstock.com

Now, all you have to do is wait. “Social Security will contact you and ask you to pay back the money they’ve given you,” Settle says.

It’s hard to predict how long that might take. “With Social Security, it’s so specific to the office you’re dealing with,” Settle says. “My local office seems to be very efficient. I’ve heard horror stories about other locations, though.” The Social Security system, in general, is overworked and underfunded, and some personnel are not well-trained, in Settle’s experience.

One more thing: What if you change your mind and decide not to withdraw from taking Social Security after all?

It is possible to rescind your request, but move quickly. Contact your local office immediately to ask how to proceed. Social Security will let beneficiaries cancel an approved withdrawal request without penalty only within a 60-day window, starting on the date your withdrawal was approved.

  Like Article   Add a Comment

Sign up for our free newsletter!

Simple ways to make, save, and grow your money daily:

  happy subscribers    
MTN Podcasts

Every week our podcasts bring you lively money discussions that will give you a few laughs along with advice that will make you richer.

Money with Stacy Johnson

Listen/Subscribe

Read Next

Some of our favorite stories for you to read next.

Confused senior shrugging
3 Big Misconceptions About Social Security
Senior woman
Can a Divorced Widow Claim Her First Husband’s Social Security Benefits?
Older couple reviewing documents
Here’s How Much Your Peers Get in Social Security
Sign up for our free newsletter!

Join our many free newsletter subscribers building wealth and destroying debt:

Popular Topics
  • Retirement Investment
  • Surveys for Money
  • How to Make Money Online
  • Emergency Stockpile
  • Free Movie Streaming
  • Senior Discounts
Connect
  • Support & FAQs
  • Memberships
  • About
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Accessibility Statement
Media
  • Television
  • Where We Air
  • Scripts
  • Sitemap
Legal
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
Editorial
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Ownership & Funding Info

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

© 2023 Money Talks News. All Rights Reserved.
‭1 (833) 669-8557 | 1732 1st Ave #26661, New York, NY 10128

Advertising Disclosure: This site may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.

Add a Comment

Our Policy: We welcome relevant and respectful comments in order to foster healthy and informative discussions. All other comments may be removed. Comments with links are automatically held for moderation.

Cookie Notice

Our website uses cookies to ensure you get the best browsing experience. By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies. Visit our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy to learn more.

Sign up for our free newsletter!

Join our happy subscribers and sign up for our free newsletter! You'll get:

  • Tips and advice from our expert money reporters. (Our average experience is 18 years!)
  • Unexpected ways to make more and spend less, delivered to you daily.
  • The best deals and coupons to save on everything you buy.
  • Free copies of our eBooks '208 Ways to Save Money Every Day' and '108 Easy Ways to Earn Extra Cash', together a $29 value!