lansbury

You are right on the percentages. I will get 50% of my wife's SS if she claims as I will be 66. If theOAP is correct as my pension is based on what my wife will get my 50% doesn't get WEPed.

This may help. http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/yourspouse.htm#a0=0

theOAP

Well, that's an interesting turn of events.

According to magpye, their US SS pension will be WEPed. That indicates the UK pension resulted from employment in the UK.

From the (lansbury) link:

"If your spouse (magpye) will receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security such as government or foreign employment, the amount of his or her (magpye) Social Security benefits on your (Mr. magpye) record may be reduced.

According to this, magpye may not receive the full 50% of Mr. magpye's SS benefit if 50% of Mr. magpye's pension results in a larger pension for magpye. There is no further discussion of foreign employment on this page, and if one clicks on the blue type link, it only discusses the 'Government Pension Offset', but no mention is made of WEP or a WEPed pension (due to foreign employment) which is paid to the spouse. The same is true for the GPO fact sheet.

I've had a quick look and not found anything, but a thorough search of all the WEP pages and the totalisation agreement may turn up more information. It's possible the totalisation agreement with the UK may have an influence, but that's pure speculation on my part. The above is the only statement I've seen that makes reference to a reduced spouse benefit due to foreign employment.

Using the figures magpye has given in previous posts, and if the reference to foreign employment refers to WEP still being applied to the spouse benefit, it seems magpye would still receive much more from a US SS spouse benefit pension than the post WEP amount of $301/mo. (My guess if this reduction is in fact true - the worst would possibly result in a SS pension of $801/mo.)

For now, all bets are off on everything.

lansbury

You would think there is someone on BE who has already claimed their SS in this situation and could give a definitive answer. But until we get that answer as you say all bets or off.

Westham

HI,
I was told in a telephone conversation with DWP some months ago that I could delay my UK Pension which I intend to do for one year so I get out of the WEP situation, also during this phone call I was informed my wife could claim 60% of what I'm entitled to when I reach 65 (end of April this year) I have just received two pension claims forms one requesting a copy of our marriage certificate for my wife to use on her claim and the other for me to make a claim when I'm ready to. My wife called DWP again this morning for assistance in filling out the form and was informed that she can't claim on my pension until I start to claim, we asked for confirmation on this as before this we were told that we could claim and that's why two forms were mailed to us last week, we were put on hold until the DWP person returned to the phone saying she had spoken to her manager and she was correct, my wife can't claim on my pension account until I start to claim. It seems very strange to me that after two prior conversations with different DWP employees at the pension office this 3rd employee has given a different situation. Does anyone know which of the two examples is correct??

magpye

[QUOTE=Westham;11111549]HI,
I was told in a telephone conversation with DWP some months ago that I could delay my UK Pension which I intend to do for one year so I get out of the WEP situation,

I haven't called Social Security here in the States or DWP as yet regarding WEP but I would be very interested to know why delaying your UK pension would get you out of WEP.

lansbury

My understanding is that the spouse cannot claim until the holder of the pension account claims.

My wife claim her UK pension based on her earnings which gave her a pension less than 60% of what mine would be when I claimed mine. When I claimed mine hers was increased to 60% of mine, she couldn't have her pension based on 60% of mine until I claimed.

lansbury

There doesn't seem to be anyway that what Westham was told makes sense. Even if they claimed SS before the UK pension was paid, the UK pension is still taken into account for WEP.

Westham

The reason I,m delaying taking my UK pension for a year is because I will by then have 30 years vested into my US social security account, the way I understand it when you have 30 years vested wep no longer applies.

Westham

Thanks for your response, amazing why they sent me two pension claims forms, but we will just hang out for another year and then claim both together.

lansbury

OK if you have 30 years SS contributions you are not subject to WEP, that is correct. It makes no difference when you collect your UK pension, it is the conditions applicable at the time you claim SS which decided. That will be when you have the 30 years contribution so no WEP.

dunroving

These sorts of threads pop up quite regularly and I am always surprised how rarely someone responds to say "When I retired and claimed SS, this is what happened to me"

Maybe we are all too young to have retired, or the retirees are having too much fun to read BE any more.

durham_lad

I've been retired for 4 years now but still have 11 years before I plan to take SS so I am am definitely in the "I wonder what happens" club.

Westham

So correct me if I'm wrong I can claim my UK pension this year when I turn 65 in April, I will not have my 30 years US SS in until 2015. If I claim my SS then in 2015 and my UK pension this year I will still be free and clear of the WEP condition?

robin1234

Yeah, I was going to say, I'm somewhat in that category - retired and eligible for SS, being 63 years old, but have decided to delay taking SS, either just for a couple of years, or all the way till I'm 70.

durham_lad

I feel sure that is how it works, since WEP only applies to SS and if you have 30 years of payments into SS before you apply, then you won't even be asked about other pensions.