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UK state pension and USA social security

UK state pension and USA social security

Old Apr 23rd 2019, 4:53 am
  #1621  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by Russet
Well I checked back on the website today and nothing has been updated. 'Work not started' so I guess they didn't meet expectations!
Checked today, it now shows “We have sent you a reply”. Nothing in messages, so assume it’s snail mail. Also checked on the NI gaps record and it still shows a voluntary contribution of GBP 741-780, I seem to recall it was GBP 6xx before so it seems to have gone up, not down.
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Old May 5th 2019, 1:56 am
  #1622  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by tht


Checked today, it now shows “We have sent you a reply”. Nothing in messages, so assume it’s snail mail. Also checked on the NI gaps record and it still shows a voluntary contribution of GBP 741-780, I seem to recall it was GBP 6xx before so it seems to have gone up, not down.
got 2 identical snail mail letters with a form on them dated 17 April today asking for details of all employment and self employment going back to 2006.
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Old May 14th 2019, 11:44 pm
  #1623  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Finally received our response, via snail mail... Confirmed approved to pay class 2 NI contributions. Detailed costs for each year that I was eligible to contribute but failed to detail how to pay, just a link to follow 'how to pay overseas contributions'. The letter is only valid for a limited period so need to work on this now.
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Old May 15th 2019, 12:08 am
  #1624  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by Russet
Finally received our response, via snail mail... Confirmed approved to pay class 2 NI contributions. Detailed costs for each year that I was eligible to contribute but failed to detail how to pay, just a link to follow 'how to pay overseas contributions'. The letter is only valid for a limited period so need to work on this now.
Instructions are here:

I send a wire transfer from my US bank account. Much easier if you have a UK bank account.

They also publish monthly exchange rates to use when submitting your payment. Payment is sent in Dollars and the HMRC use their published rate for the conversion.

My bank charges $45 wire transfer fee. I always add about $20 on top incase of a shortfall or other unforeseen charges.
.

Last edited by chawkins99; May 15th 2019 at 12:13 am.
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 8:23 am
  #1625  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Does anyone know if you can take both a UK state pension and USA social security, and - if you choose to retire in the UK - can you still receive a USA SS pension in the UK - or hold it in a US bank account? I find the threads on pensions somewhat difficult to follow.

I'm 58, and have been working in the USA for 4 years. I'm trying to gauge if it's worth working in the US another 6 years to get the USA social security pension, or return to the UK before 10 years.

thank you.
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 8:36 am
  #1626  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by jennyjroe
Does anyone know if you can take both a UK state pension and USA social security, and - if you choose to retire in the UK - can you still receive a USA SS pension in the UK - or hold it in a US bank account? I find the threads on pensions somewhat difficult to follow.

I'm 58, and have been working in the USA for 4 years. I'm trying to gauge if it's worth working in the US another 6 years to get the USA social security pension, or return to the UK before 10 years.

thank you.
Yes, you can receive both and you can have the US SS paid directly into your UK bank account.
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 11:34 am
  #1627  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by chawkins99
I have no idea. I recall another post on here where someone was told by the pensions helpline that they couldn't make voluntary contributions because they had not paid 3 years before leaving. A quick search failed to find it.

As will all advice on here. Trust but verify.
I heard the same, but also if one was 3 years in UK before leaving- whether three years contributions or not- one could make voluntary contributions back in the UK.
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 1:55 pm
  #1628  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by jennyjroe
Does anyone know if you can take both a UK state pension and USA social security, and - if you choose to retire in the UK - can you still receive a USA SS pension in the UK - or hold it in a US bank account? I find the threads on pensions somewhat difficult to follow.

I'm 58, and have been working in the USA for 4 years. I'm trying to gauge if it's worth working in the US another 6 years to get the USA social security pension, or return to the UK before 10 years.

thank you.
Yes you can claim both but I think there is a US exit tax after 8 years. I can't remember the details.
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 4:33 pm
  #1629  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by jennyjroe
Does anyone know if you can take both a UK state pension and USA social security, and - if you choose to retire in the UK - can you still receive a USA SS pension in the UK - or hold it in a US bank account? I find the threads on pensions somewhat difficult to follow.

I'm 58, and have been working in the USA for 4 years. I'm trying to gauge if it's worth working in the US another 6 years to get the USA social security pension, or return to the UK before 10 years.

thank you.
Do you have any UK pensions other than the UK State Pension? Are all contributions to the UK State Pension made by voluntary contributions (Class 2 from US), or are there a number of contributing years resulting from work preformed in the UK prior to arriving in the US? Sorry about the questions but if you wish to return to the UK before you complete 10 years of US SS contributions, it is possible to still collect a US SS benefit, and a resulting favourable WEP situation can be a factor to consider.

If you qualify for the UK State Pension you could leave now and still claim the US SS for 4 years worth of benefits. See the US/UK Totalisation Agreement. Between 1.5 and 9.75 qualifying years for the US SS may be claimed by this method.

See Part III, Article 8
https://www.ssa.gov/international/Ag.../uk.html#part3

If you were to use the Totalisation Agreement to claim US SS for less than 10 years of qualified contributions, WEP would not result from any UK pension amounts received. If you have 10 or more US SS qualifying years, WEP will be a factor in your US SS benefit.

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0300605386

The point is if you wish to return to the UK at any time during the next 5 years (resulting in 9 or less US SS qualifying years) you will still be able to collect the US SS (if you qualify for the UK State Pension), and without a WEP penalty, so no need to stay in the US for the sole reason of qualifying for US SS if you would rather be in the UK.
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 8:13 pm
  #1630  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

That is very helpful thank you. I have a full UK state pension having worked here all my life until 2015
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Old Jul 4th 2019, 9:29 pm
  #1631  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by theOAP
Do you have any UK pensions other than the UK State Pension? Are all contributions to the UK State Pension made by voluntary contributions (Class 2 from US), or are there a number of contributing years resulting from work preformed in the UK prior to arriving in the US? Sorry about the questions but if you wish to return to the UK before you complete 10 years of US SS contributions, it is possible to still collect a US SS benefit, and a resulting favourable WEP situation can be a factor to consider.

If you qualify for the UK State Pension you could leave now and still claim the US SS for 4 years worth of benefits. See the US/UK Totalisation Agreement. Between 1.5 and 9.75 qualifying years for the US SS may be claimed by this method.

See Part III, Article 8
https://www.ssa.gov/international/Ag.../uk.html#part3

If you were to use the Totalisation Agreement to claim US SS for less than 10 years of qualified contributions, WEP would not result from any UK pension amounts received. If you have 10 or more US SS qualifying years, WEP will be a factor in your US SS benefit.

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0300605386

The point is if you wish to return to the UK at any time during the next 5 years (resulting in 9 or less US SS qualifying years) you will still be able to collect the US SS (if you qualify for the UK State Pension), and without a WEP penalty, so no need to stay in the US for the sole reason of qualifying for US SS if you would rather be in the UK.
It would seem from this that once you've worked 9 years you'd better quit, otherwise your SS will be cut in half?
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Old Jul 15th 2019, 4:30 pm
  #1632  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

I worked for 6 years in the UK and have been working in the US since 1985. I am eligible for full US social security next year. If I apply for a UK pension they said that they could borrow some credits form the US to make up the UK pension credits
. Will this reduce the amount of my US social security payment? And the form asks if I've worked or lived outside the UK to which the answer is YES. And asks for my social security number.
Has anyone done this before and does claiming the UK pension affect the US social security?
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Old Jul 15th 2019, 4:58 pm
  #1633  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

costar:
Under the terms of the US/UK Totalization Agreement your US social security contributions assist in being able to claim UK state pension based on 6 years contributions. On its own 6 years of contributions to the UK state pension are insufficient to receive a state pension, the minimum being 10 years. In addition no WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) deduction will be taken from your US Social Security benefits.
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Old Jan 26th 2020, 9:56 am
  #1634  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Hello all. I just joined and am having trouble finding my way around, so hope this is the right way to post my questions. (Not a good start eh?). I have read so much about WEP but still don't understand one basic thing : if I paid into the US SS system while working over there, in my case for around 20 years, and prior to that and subsequent to my return to the UK, worked and paid my NI contributions in the UK, so that I get SS payments (I'm 65 and started receiving them at 62), and as of a few months ago I get my UK state pension ( half of the full rate due to only working a total of about 12 years), why does the US take money from me when the contributions I paid covered different years? How is that fair? I'm not being paid a pension twice for the same period. (There is no private pension to muddy the waters.) However, I have contacted the FBU with all the details several times in the last 6 months but have still not been told how much my SS reduction will be. Is this a usual amount of time? It looks like I will owe them, by my calculations, over £1,000 already. I'm wondering if because I don't get the full UK state pension that I don't qualify for WEP deductions? Does anyone know?
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Old Jan 26th 2020, 10:44 am
  #1635  
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Default Re: UK state pension and USA social security

Originally Posted by Butwhy
Hello all. I just joined and am having trouble finding my way around, so hope this is the right way to post my questions. (Not a good start eh?). I have read so much about WEP but still don't understand one basic thing : if I paid into the US SS system while working over there, in my case for around 20 years, and prior to that and subsequent to my return to the UK, worked and paid my NI contributions in the UK, so that I get SS payments (I'm 65 and started receiving them at 62), and as of a few months ago I get my UK state pension ( half of the full rate due to only working a total of about 12 years), why does the US take money from me when the contributions I paid covered different years? How is that fair? I'm not being paid a pension twice for the same period. (There is no private pension to muddy the waters.) However, I have contacted the FBU with all the details several times in the last 6 months but have still not been told how much my SS reduction will be. Is this a usual amount of time? It looks like I will owe them, by my calculations, over £1,000 already. I'm wondering if because I don't get the full UK state pension that I don't qualify for WEP deductions? Does anyone know?
Some think WEP is fair, others not. You have to understand how US SOC SEC benefits are calculated, based on your record of contributions into the system. I am in the same situation and have just started receiving my UK state pension. Having received my award letter at the end of 2019 from UK Gov, I visited the local US Social Security office and they made a copy. They will then advise you in approx a month so I was a told how much my US SOC SEC benefit that I have been receiving since I turned 62 will be reduced for WEP. There is a WEP calculator on the SOC SEC website that will tell you how much the reduction for WEP will be. Easy to use.
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