Originally Posted by robin1234

I'm right on to that! Heroically volunteering as a guinea pig.

I did a bog standard online application for my SS about four weeks ago. There are a couple of questions (just yes/no boxes) about pensions from non-SS employment. In the free text field at the end of the application, I made a simple statement that I was expecting a private, final salary pension from UK to commence August 2015 and I was expecting my British state pension to commence at some date in the future, TBD.

I checked back on the website a few days later, and they needed me to bring in my Naturalization Certificate to the local office, which I did. While at the interview (well, photocopy session) I asked the lady about WEP, she simply said I should inform them of the actual amounts and starting dates of the pensions closer to the time they commence.

I checked back on the website a couple of days ago, and it stated that a decision had been made and I would be informed by letter in the post, which I'm awaiting.

When I applied online, I requested a start date of April 2015, when I will be 64 and 8 months. I think that is when you get 90% of full SS, or a tad above, can't remember (there's a table online that shows percentage for each month between age 62 and age 70, age 66 being 100%.). When you apply online, you are offered a start date of the next month or a couple of months forward, so in Jan you are offered a start date of Feb, Mar, Apr, I think it was...

Originally Posted by durham_lad

Thanks Robin, it's good of you to give us a step by step description of your application. My wife will be applying for hers in 3 years but I currently am not planning to apply for another 10 years.

Interesting that you had to go into the office with your Naturalization Certificate. We've never needed ours as we got US passports on the same day we became USC's (in 1998) and the passports have always worked as proof of citizenship.

Originally Posted by dunroving

Not sure I understand why citizenship is relevant to applying for SS pension ... Is it to do with liability for US income tax withholding at source?

Originally Posted by dunroving

Not sure I understand why citizenship is relevant to applying for SS pension ... Is it to do with liability for US income tax withholding at source?

Originally Posted by nun

There's no withholding on SS.

Originally Posted by Nutmegger

Hope this isn't too nosy, but when you are so close to being able to receive the pension at 100%, is it not feasible for you to hold on for the extra few months?

Originally Posted by robin1234

Well, there's the break even point, and (like most people) I don't know how long I'll live. We lived for two years in retirement with little to no income, according to plan; our short term savings are now spent down. So the plan was always to start, one at a time, to turn on various pensions/annuities/regular distributions, commencing this spring. I'd rather leave various tax advantaged retirement savings in place for a while, partly because I can't stand working with the wallies employed by those companies as "financial advisors." I'll have to eventually bite the bullet though!!

Originally Posted by dunroving

Maybe I am using the wrong terminology ... so SS is paid free of tax and then the recipient pays via the tax return?

I know that TIAA-CREF were saying they'd withhold tax on any payments from my 401a (except I'll submit the form W8-BEN or whatever it is and hope the useless numpties can figure it out). So I assumed the same would apply to US SS pension payments ... but I planned to apply to receive exempt of US tax anyway.

Originally Posted by theOAP

I believe we've been down this road before regards the link to that particular SSA page and the question it raises. I don't believe we were able to come to a conclusive opinion regards an interpretation of the SSA information given on that page, or other pages referenced.

Originally Posted by robin1234

Well, there's the break even point, and (like most people) I don't know how long I'll live. We lived for two years in retirement with little to no income, according to plan; our short term savings are now spent down. So the plan was always to start, one at a time, to turn on various pensions/annuities/regular distributions, commencing this spring. I'd rather leave various tax advantaged retirement savings in place for a while, partly because I can't stand working with the wallies employed by those companies as "financial advisors." I'll have to eventually bite the bullet though!!

Originally Posted by Westham

Hi,
Having read and re read these recent posts on this thread I am wondering at the SS interview would the question be asked about UK pensions if in fact 30 years of US social security had been recorded? I have been receiving my UK state pension (21 years total vested 14 working years and 7 voluntary catch up years) since April of 2014 when I became 65 years old. I will have 30 vested in SS by this coming April when I am 66, it is my understanding that having 30 years vested in SS I will not be wep'd (hopefully I am still correct in thinking this) so I am curious if in fact I will be asked at all? Depending on how my health and other circumstances are I may even extend taking my US SS until I reach the age of 68 years and 6 months, not sure if they will change the rules on this wep situation by then.

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

One thing that is very clear in all this WEP stuff is that it doesn't apply if you have 30+ years of SS contributions. So I don't think whether they ask you or not is important. In another two months I will have 30 years myself, so I know WEP won't apply to me.

Originally Posted by theOAP

Unless someone cares to give other experiences, it appears the only way you will have an answer to the question will be when you apply for the spousal pension in the US.

Originally Posted by robin1234

Just one proviso, they have to be years of significant contributions. There's a table online of the threshold for definition of significant for each year going back. Unfortunately, I have two or three years that are less than the minimum...