Mallory

As my old mum used to say "beggars can't be choosers."

WEBlue

Oh...not sure where that one's hiding.


Interesting! Our local office is pretty tiny, and they've already expressed some annoyance when we've tried to get an appointment to discuss SS questions that couldn't be answered over the general Helpline.

I wonder if anyone here has applied for their State Pension through the local SS Office?

Giantaxe

Given that you can now apply for the UK pension online, it's not a route I would take. When the US-UK agreement was originally made, it was presumably a much more useful feature.

nun

It looks like you would only do this is you were using US SS credits to qualify for a UK pension. If you don't need the Totalization Agreement then you'd just apply for the UK pension using the International Claim form

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...br1-dec-13.pdf

Can you claim online if you are not a UK resident?

lansbury

Looking at the gov.uk overseas pensions still require completion of the paper claim form. Someone posting about their problems sending documents by courier to the correct UK address. If you can use a SS office it might save the need to send documents if they could be checked at the SS office.

UK2US1979

I thought the likes of DHL would do a good job of delivering at the correct address. I wonder if there are other reliable options such as US Postal service to send the package to the UK Pension office.

durham_lad

From what I recall of the discussion you need to send your letter or package not requiring a signature, because the only addresses provided are PO Boxes and there won't be a person prepared to sign for a package.

If you want to be sure it arrives, use proof of delivery so you can see that it was delivered.

lansbury

Apparently the address given to send a claim to is a mailbox, which itself is in a different city to the actual office. Couriers cannot deliver to a mailbox, they need a physical street address. USPS can be used, but they cannot track a package to a mailbox.

Westham

I applied for my UK pension direct to the UK Dept. of Work & Pensions via the good old mail man. It took a few months to get everything sorted but ended up ok, I did try and fax some details but that got lost in someone's office, but that was the only hic-up. I did also telephone a couple of times and everyone was very helpful the only delay is the time it takes for the GB postal service to get the replay back to the USA as everything had a post mark "Malta" I have no idea why.

R50

I will be applying US SS while looking for deferred UK Basic State Pension and Sec 32 Pension. Will US SS accept statement for both pensions and WEPed accordingly immediately or wail until I claimed both UK deferred pension s and then apply WEPed to my US SS Benefits?
Anyone who has knowledge and experience will appreciate comments.

Sailortobe

The thread about the UK postal code issue was me - Sailortobe - see separate thread My FedEx package did finally make it to it's destination, and I received a call from DWP confirming receipt. Not being able to track a package containing original documents is, to my mind, totally unsatisfactory. I have yet to receive those documents back here in the US.

lansbury

Looking at the SS form Modified Benefit Formula Questionnaire - Foreign Pension.

Question 8: If you received a lump sum payment instead of a periodic pension, enter the amount of the payment and, if known, the specific time for which the payment would be due. (Bold emphasis mine)

Taking Ian and Mr F's advice on how to answer questions. My pension is a periodic payment, and a lump sum. The periodic payment isn't instead of the lump sum, it was reduced by taking the lump sum, therefore it shouldn't be included.

I am inclined to put down the lump sum, mainly because it will make no difference to the final WEP amount if I do or not. But in view of the wording of the question what is the general opinion on how it should be answered?

kodokan

Interesting question, lansbury. It's all going to be a mess come the new UK pension regime, isn't it? Then, it's highly likely that people won't have neither periodic payment nor 'a' lump sum - they'll have a fund of money, from which they can draw varying amounts at whatever point in time they choose. The questions will make even less sense then!

jb82

SSA are assuming any pension pot withdrawal is a lump sum or a periodic payment. Basically they want everything taxed so I highly doubt we'll get away with not declaring.

UK2US1979

Your periodic pension going forward would have been higher if you had not taken the lump sum also. I believe it is on this "higher" amount that the SSA would calculate the WEP. The form does ask for the Lump sum information and the period it relates to.

My situation is a bit different as mentioned previously. I shall be opting for a lump sum in lieu of the past 3 years accumulated basic Pension (since turning 65) as I am filing the pension claim only now. I could, instead, take an "extra Pension" added to my basic if I so choose. It would be interesting to see how that is treated for WEP purposes.