Applying for SS - actual experience
Jul 1st 2021, 2:13 pm
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Applying for SS - actual experience
My wife today completed her application for SS benefits to be paid and it went really well so I thought I'd note down the process we went through.
1. In April she contacted the FBU at the US Embassy online using the form below, and asked that she begin to receive her SS
https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen...email_enquiry/
2. About 6 weeks later she received a phone call and went through an initial interview, at the end of which they asked to schedule a more complete interview to finish the process. Today they called her, took all her details including UK Bank Account and sort code. The man was very familiar with the UK OAP and since she was not yet receiving it said that she would begin receiving her SS backdated to the day of her email to them and told her what it would be. It was very similar to the estimate she had on her last estimated benefits letter which had accessed online through her account. She could have chosen a later date.
3. Once she actually starts receiving her OAP she needs to contact them again and have filled out form SSA-308 (below) and this form contains the dates for which she paid voluntary contributions as they don't count towards the WEP calculation. (Windfall Elimination Provision). He said that they at the FBU would contact the DWP to confirm which contribution years were from paid employment. Her SS payments would then be reduced accordingly.
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-308.pdf
4. Although she is a USC she has not registered her citizenship with the SSA and she needs to do this, as do I. He said this won't affect her receipt of SS benefits and the application is now complete and she can expect to see payments arriving in her UK bank account within 6 weeks.
To register our citizenship status we should apply for a new SS card and can do this by completing form SSA-5 and sending it to the US Embassy via the Royal Mail Special Delivery service.
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
I hope this info is useful for others going through this process.
1. In April she contacted the FBU at the US Embassy online using the form below, and asked that she begin to receive her SS
https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen...email_enquiry/
2. About 6 weeks later she received a phone call and went through an initial interview, at the end of which they asked to schedule a more complete interview to finish the process. Today they called her, took all her details including UK Bank Account and sort code. The man was very familiar with the UK OAP and since she was not yet receiving it said that she would begin receiving her SS backdated to the day of her email to them and told her what it would be. It was very similar to the estimate she had on her last estimated benefits letter which had accessed online through her account. She could have chosen a later date.
3. Once she actually starts receiving her OAP she needs to contact them again and have filled out form SSA-308 (below) and this form contains the dates for which she paid voluntary contributions as they don't count towards the WEP calculation. (Windfall Elimination Provision). He said that they at the FBU would contact the DWP to confirm which contribution years were from paid employment. Her SS payments would then be reduced accordingly.
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-308.pdf
4. Although she is a USC she has not registered her citizenship with the SSA and she needs to do this, as do I. He said this won't affect her receipt of SS benefits and the application is now complete and she can expect to see payments arriving in her UK bank account within 6 weeks.
To register our citizenship status we should apply for a new SS card and can do this by completing form SSA-5 and sending it to the US Embassy via the Royal Mail Special Delivery service.
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
I hope this info is useful for others going through this process.
