UK state pension and USA social security
#1246
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
If I might add, hopefully to clarify, pensions that are WEP deductible are those paid for with income which was not subject to Social Security taxes. So if your British State Pension was paid for with 14 years of actual or deemed contributions while in the UK, 10 years of voluntary contributions while working in, say, Germany, and 12 years of voluntary contrubutions while living in the US then one third (12/36) of your State Pension would not be WEPable, because one third of it was paid for with contributions that were subject to US Social Security taxes.
#1247
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
Well that has confused me. In fact 22/36 of the pension would not be subject to WEP as the contributions were voluntary. The portion of Mrs L's UK State pension which she received as a result of voluntary contributions paid while living in the UK was excluded from WEP calculations.
#1248
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 30
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
When I spoke to the Lady at the SS dept she said.
What is the amount of your UK pension(in £££s)...I told her,she then said because the amount your getting when calculated into $$$s is more than $500, the amount of the SS benefit will be reduced by $200.....she jokingly said....the £££ is low now compared to the $$$.The phone call lasted less than 3 minutes and she never ever mentioned anything about WEP.
What is the amount of your UK pension(in £££s)...I told her,she then said because the amount your getting when calculated into $$$s is more than $500, the amount of the SS benefit will be reduced by $200.....she jokingly said....the £££ is low now compared to the $$$.The phone call lasted less than 3 minutes and she never ever mentioned anything about WEP.
Last edited by monkeybrains; Oct 31st 2016 at 11:57 am.
#1249
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
When I spoke to the Lady at the SS dept she said.
What is the amount of your UK pension(in £££s)...I told her,she then said because the amount your getting when calculated into $$$s is more than $500, the amount of the SS benefit will be reduced by $200.....she jokingly said....the £££ is low now compared to the $$$.The phone call lasted less than 3 minutes and she never ever mentioned anything about WEP.
What is the amount of your UK pension(in £££s)...I told her,she then said because the amount your getting when calculated into $$$s is more than $500, the amount of the SS benefit will be reduced by $200.....she jokingly said....the £££ is low now compared to the $$$.The phone call lasted less than 3 minutes and she never ever mentioned anything about WEP.
You would be well advised to familiarize yourself with WEP and how it is calculated as there is a good chance that your WEP may be wrong.
#1250
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 30
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
Thank you.
#1251
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
Could be either way, but if any part of your UK state pension is from voluntary contributions while you were living in the US, then there is a very good chance that too much WEP is being deducted.
#1252
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
I am confused about my opted out and opted in contributions. Do I count any part of my private pension that I contributed to with my reduced national insurance payments? If not, would the part of my pension paid by the additional fund when I opted back in be subject to WEP? I think that was called SERPS. It's all changed now, and I'm very confused.
#1253
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
I am confused about my opted out and opted in contributions. Do I count any part of my private pension that I contributed to with my reduced national insurance payments? If not, would the part of my pension paid by the additional fund when I opted back in be subject to WEP? I think that was called SERPS. It's all changed now, and I'm very confused.
SERPS was what you "opted out of" to get more money into your private pension.
#1254
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
I thought private pensions were WEPable anyway?
My own private pension was not based on employment. My work private pension was. The tax allowance were based on my income, not employment. So I'm not sure
SERPS was what you "opted out of" to get more money into your private pension.
My own private pension was not based on employment. My work private pension was. The tax allowance were based on my income, not employment. So I'm not sure
SERPS was what you "opted out of" to get more money into your private pension.
The questions at https://www.ssa.gov/international/wep_disclaimer.html mention based on employment.
yes SERPS was what I opted out of, and then back into.
Last edited by mrken30; Oct 31st 2016 at 3:52 pm.
#1255
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
It'd be easier to keep on working until you have 30 years of "substantial" earnings for Social Security purposes.
#1256
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
Totally agree, I would like to know if there's a way of paying a two or three of years SS from self employed income or passive income. Still haven't worked that one out yet.
#1257
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
UK State pension is not voluntary in that by law a % of pay is deducted towards it.
If you pay voluntary contributions towards the UK State pension, where do you get the money from. Salary, interest or profit on the stock market could be any or all. Also that salary could be from a Federal job from which SS isn't deducted. But in all cases pension derived from voluntary (not deducted from salary) contributions is not subject to WEP. That is my understanding, if I'm wrong I'd be pleased to know.
#1258
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
I am confused about my opted out and opted in contributions. Do I count any part of my private pension that I contributed to with my reduced national insurance payments? If not, would the part of my pension paid by the additional fund when I opted back in be subject to WEP? I think that was called SERPS. It's all changed now, and I'm very confused.
#1259
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
When I spoke to the Lady at the SS dept she said.
What is the amount of your UK pension(in £££s)...I told her,she then said because the amount your getting when calculated into $$$s is more than $500, the amount of the SS benefit will be reduced by $200.....she jokingly said....the £££ is low now compared to the $$$.The phone call lasted less than 3 minutes and she never ever mentioned anything about WEP.
What is the amount of your UK pension(in £££s)...I told her,she then said because the amount your getting when calculated into $$$s is more than $500, the amount of the SS benefit will be reduced by $200.....she jokingly said....the £££ is low now compared to the $$$.The phone call lasted less than 3 minutes and she never ever mentioned anything about WEP.
#1260
Re: UK state pension and USA social security
Yes and no. My police pension I could join or not if I remember correctly. But the contribution was deducted directly from my salary (11.25%) and it is that that would make it subject to WEP if my SS wasn't based on Mrs Ls contributions..
UK State pension is not voluntary in that by law a % of pay is deducted towards it.
If you pay voluntary contributions towards the UK State pension, where do you get the money from. Salary, interest or profit on the stock market could be any or all. Also that salary could be from a Federal job from which SS isn't deducted. But in all cases pension derived from voluntary (not deducted from salary) contributions is not subject to WEP. That is my understanding, if I'm wrong I'd be pleased to know.
UK State pension is not voluntary in that by law a % of pay is deducted towards it.
If you pay voluntary contributions towards the UK State pension, where do you get the money from. Salary, interest or profit on the stock market could be any or all. Also that salary could be from a Federal job from which SS isn't deducted. But in all cases pension derived from voluntary (not deducted from salary) contributions is not subject to WEP. That is my understanding, if I'm wrong I'd be pleased to know.
So the deciding factor seems to be whether (WEPable) or not (not WEPable) pension contributions were deducted from your payroll?
Last edited by Pulaski; Oct 31st 2016 at 4:24 pm.