VeraFlo

Hi I am a British Citizen who moved to the U.S.A. in 1951.

I worked for approximately 11 years while in England (1939 - 1951)

I got married to a Canadian citizen while working in the US in 1953

I had two children.

My husband has died and I currently get a U.S.A. Social Security pension.

I am 88 years old.

Is there anyone that could tell me if I am entitled to a UK pension?

Would it effect my U.S.A. pension?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

VeraFlo

Michael

You may be eligible for UK benefits. Contact you local social security office and they will help collect your UK benefits. The amount of UK benefits allowed may be restricted (equalization) by agreements between the US and UK. Hopefully because you are applying so late, you may get a larger monthly check from the UK similar to waiting until after retirement to collect US social security (larger payments).

http://www.ssa.gov/international/agr..._overview.html

Ray

File a claim for a UK pension .. I suggested to my doctors receptionist as she was a brit but had been in the US for many years and had not worked long in the UK ...she was awarded a small pension from the UK and its paid into her bank every month

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensions...sion/DG_183111

robin1234

If I were you I'd keep it simple, and write a letter direct to the good people up in Newcastle who look after Your State Pension.

HM Revenue & Customs
NICO International Caseworker
Room BP1301
Benton Park View
Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1ZZ
UK

I've always found them to be extremely helpful. Just write a letter giving all your addresses and employers in the UK between 1939 and 1951, and they should be able to find your records. Obviously you may not remember all the details, but whatever you tell them should be helpful.

VeraFlo

I just want to thank those of you that replied

I will try all your suggestions.

Thank you again.

VeraFlo

Maltoo

you also may want to look into what your UK pension benefits would be if you paid them up 6 years(maxium allowed at this time).


With 11 years already paid(I believe you will only get 25% of your full pension for that amount of years) paying your pension for another 6 years may be worth the money as it would increase your pay out of your pension to 18/30ths of the full amount or almost double what you would if you did not pay it up.

You do need to factor in your age, but it is something to consider.

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.o...-contributions

Michael

Not necessarily since social security equalization may take effect. There is a maximum amount that someone can receive for combined US/UK government benefits.

robin1234

I believe that depends upon whether she or her late husband paid into US Social security for 30 plus years, or for a lesser amount of years. The Windfall Elimination Provision Penalty (whereby you lose 50 cents of your SS for each dollar you get from your British State Pension) does not apply to those who have paid 30 or more years into SS. There is no penalty for them.

nun

Calculation of WEP is more complicated than you indicate and depends on the number of years of contributions you have, it is also capped at a maximum amount. You can estimate this using the SSA WEP calculator.

For example I have 17 years of contributions and in future dollars my SS benefit at 66 would be $2700 a month. If I get between 0 and $1200 a month non SS pension the SS amount is WEPed on a sliding scale down to $2000/month, my max WEP is $700 and I do not loose any more if my non-SS pension is above $1200/month.

theOAP

This probably doesn't apply to Vera, but it's an interesting twist on US Social Security and UKC's. (NOTE: I'm certain this applied in 2009. I am assuming it still applies.)

Under the US/UK agreement a UKC, married to a USC or UKC who receives US SS, (and upon reaching retirement age themselves under US SS rules) can claim a benefit for themselves from US SS when resident in the UK. The UKC need never have worked in the US, lived in the US, or even set foot in the US. It will be the standard amount (1/2 of the SS recipients amount). The UK is one of a very few countries that have this agreement with US SS.

If the SS recipient has been 'WEPed', and upon their death, the surviving UKC will receive the pre-WEP amount (the amount before WEP is deducted) from US SS (but other rules may apply for federal, state or local government pensions). They could receive more than the SS recipient will have received.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html
at bottom of page in last para on "some exceptions".

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/intern.../uk.html#part3
Part III, Article 7(1)

But let's keep this among ourselves, and not tell the politicians in Washington about it (even though they passed the laws!).

robin1234

Thanks for this. But I thought I read (maybe my mistake..) that if you do have 30 or more years SS contributions, then you will not be subject to any WEP penalty?

nun

That's correct, 30 or more years of contributions and you do not get WEPed.

Maltoo

thank you for this information, I was not aware of this.

dunroving

How do they deal with fluctuations in £/$ exchange rate?

Current UK state pension is £442 pcm (about £101 per week).

This is currently about $730 pcm at £1=$1.65, but if the pound went to $2, it would be $882. So the UK state pension is a moving target ... do they simply calculate based on exchange rate at the beginning of each tax year?

Not that it's a problem for me, because by the time I retire they'll probably make US nonresidents ineligible for SS pension.

Ray

more like 1.58 now .... but the US fixes an amount probably an average once a year for the calculations