matador

Has anyone here had there US Pension affected by the US Windfall act when collecting your pension from the UK. I have had 50% of my US pension stopped because of my UK pension.

JAJ

Noted you're taking over a thread that's completely unrelated, but yes, the Windfall Elimination Provision can have this impact. However, it doesn't necessarily impact 50% of your Social Security pension. Usually the impact is much less.

matador

[QUOTE=JAJ;10941989]Noted you're taking over a thread that's completely unrelated, but yes, the Windfall Elimination Provision can have this impact. However, it doesn't necessarily impact 50% of your Social Security pension. Usually the impact is much less.[/QUOTEWell they took 50% and then $165 for medicare.

David
A Yorkshireman in the USA

JAJ

Perhaps "they" made a mistake. Perhaps not. Hard to tell from here. Have you researched the relevant Social Security regulations and done your own calculation? Or perhaps you need to consult with an attorney who handles Social Security cases.

matador

A SS Attorneys the next step.

David
A Yorkshireman in the USA

Nutmegger

How many years/quarters have you worked in the US? That is part of the calculation.

matador

I have worked here 30 years , I,m 67 but took SS at 65, I didnt realise that if you took retirement after 30 years you are exempt from the Windfall act (like they tell you).

David
A Yorkshireman in the USA

Jerseygirl

Welcome to BE Matador.

Rather than hijacking an existing thread I have moved your posts and the relevant replies into a new thread.

Michael

Since you appear to be living in the US, I don't believe your social security benefits should be cut but instead possibly your UK pension. Does your social security benefits match what you calculate on the SS web site?

theOAP

For all of those 30 years, did you contribute to Social Security (FICA)?

@Michael
A UK State Pension should not be reduced due to US pensions.

Michael

There has been several posters recently on BE that claimed that was what was happening. Usually it is only a couple hundred pounds or less. None complained that social security benefits were reduced.

theOAP

Interesting, Michael. Any idea which threads?

Michael

Sorry I misread it.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807391

nun

To gauge if your WEP is appropriate please tell us the number of years you've been paying FICA and the number of years you paid earnings related (not voluntary) NICs or the amount of any other non-SS pension. If you have 30 years of FICA payments you should not be subject to WEP.

ClosedAcc 7654

I must confess to being baffled. I've been looking into this for a few weeks now and all I find is outdated US SS booklets, and equally baffled US SS staff. So I thought I'd ask here for a definitive answer of what happens when I retire.

My situation is we left the UK in 1986. I became disabled at 23 years and 50 years old, but pulling the max US SS,so probably don't qualify for the 30 years where WEP does not apply. In the meantime have been paying class 2 NI. Have never worked in a situation where either/or might have applied for an employer. So basically when I retire, my UK pension will be something like 90% of whatever it happens to be (100% if 30 yrs, less if 35) plus my pension, both qualifying separately.

So the question is what effect WEP has on my US pension? I can't get to 30 years for it not to matter because of being disabled through no fault of my own and drawing SSDI so no US SS contributions are being made. Around 70% of my UK contributions will be voluntary since we left the country.

Anyone care to comment on WEP and potential impact? The published material is not clear but seems to imply the impact of voluntary NI is excluded, yet when I worked in the UK, I was in no way US resident so any adjustment would be a simple raid on my US SS. Is there any impact on things because I am disabled and receive SSDI?

I have an appointment in late December but I don't think I am likely to get much sense then as the US staff seem more baffled than me.

Thanks