Claiming US social security via US embassy London

I'm British and I worked in the US a while back. I'm permanently back in the UK now.

I contacted the Federal Benefits Unit at the US embassy in London some time ago to ask whether I would be eligible for social security benefits. They replied affirmatively and asked me to make a claim through them three months before my full retirement age, which I'll reach on 1 Jan 2025.

I did that via email two months ago and received a standard acknowledgement immediately. Since then, I've heard nothing back, despite prompting them. Their auto-reply implies you shouldn't prompt them too often.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Maybe they are still processing this, and won't reply until they're done.

Alternatively, they're just not processing it for some reason. Is there another way to apply?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
 

The FBU is desperately slow this year.  It worked really well when my wife claimed in 2020, but this year there have been so many complaints about how slow it is. (We are both dual citizens living in England).

I applied through the FBU in September and after 10 weeks of no response I applied directly online.  That was processed quite quickly but the status of my application is now waiting for review by the FBU in London and has been since November 12th so I am also in limbo waiting on the FBU in the US Embassy.

You can read about FBU issues discussed here over this last year.  Towards the end of the discussion you will see that I posted a screenshot from my online SSA account showing the status of my claim.

https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=101178.60

My wife and I are wanting to start our Social Security payments in January 2025 so in September we submitted our applications.  Pretty quickly we received a message on our Social Security accounts saying  that “We have started reviewing your application on September 18 2024”.   But absolutely nothing since then.  The website says it typically takes 30 days for a decision, but with being abroad and with the added complexity of a UK company pension etc I think it will take a lot longer.

If I get wind of any status change I’ll let y’all know.

My wife and I are wanting to start our Social Security payments in January 2025 so in September we submitted our applications.  Pretty quickly we received a message on our Social Security accounts saying  that “We have started reviewing your application on September 18 2024”.   But absolutely nothing since then.  The website says it typically takes 30 days for a decision, but with being abroad and with the added complexity of a UK company pension etc I think it will take a lot longer.

If I get wind of any status change I’ll let y’all know.

Please do keep us informed of any progress, it all seems very gummed up at present.

I applied through the FBU in September and after 10 weeks of no response I applied directly online.  That was processed quite quickly but the status of my application is now waiting for review by the FBU in London and has been since November 12th so I am also in limbo waiting on the FBU in the US Embassy.

Thanks, so would you recommend that I do the same - apply online? And would I go through https://www.ssa.gov/apply or is there a separate application process for non-US citizens?

Thanks, so would you recommend that I do the same - apply online? And would I go through https://www.ssa.gov/apply or is there a separate application process for non-US citizens?

That is exactly what I would recommend except from you say you can already see that you have an application in progress?

The online application for me asked all the relevant questions but unfortunately did not ask for the value of my foreign pensions or request that I submit forms SSA-308 which detail the amount I receive from those pensions.  That is what the FBU will ask for. I have actually completed the SSA-308 forms for my UK pensions and mailed them into the FBU in an attempt to move my application along. When my wife applied in 2020 she contacted the FBU via the US Embassy website and got a call back about 6 weeks later and they then created the SS application that she could she see through her SS account online. My application online specifically says that it is waiting on review by the FBU in London, since November 12.

That is exactly what I would recommend except from you say you can already see that you have an application in progress?

I've asked the FBU to make a claim for me (which they have not responded to), but I haven't applied directly online.

I've started to apply directly, via the ssa.gov link I refer to above. But I've quickly run into the mud. E.g. "Did you ever work in a job where U.S. Social Security taxes were not deducted or withheld?" - yes, I've spent most of my life working in the UK. But do they mean *US* job? This is why I was hoping for the FBU's help!

I've asked the FBU to make a claim for me (which they have not responded to), but I haven't applied directly online.

I've started to apply directly, via the ssa.gov link I refer to above. But I've quickly run into the mud. E.g. "Did you ever work in a job where U.S. Social Security taxes were not deducted or withheld?" - yes, I've spent most of my life working in the UK. But do they mean *US* job? This is why I was hoping for the FBU's help!

They definitely mean ANY job which includes jobs in the UK.  Even if your UK did not produce a company pension it paid into the UK version of SS through national insurance payments and the OAP benefits derived from those jobs will reduce your SS through WEP.

The FBU does have access to the UK DWP so be sure to admit to having OAP owing or being paid.

Thanks. I've just submitted my application online. Now they want birth certificate, "Citizenship/Naturalization", proof of income, and marriage certificate, but say "Do not mail foreign records ... bring them to your Social Security office". What did you do?

Also, in the space for comments I let them know what other benefits I receive (e.g. UK state pension). Did they ask you for similar info after you'd applied?

Many thanks for all your help.

Thanks. I've just submitted my application online. Now they want birth certificate, "Citizenship/Naturalization", proof of income, and marriage certificate, but say "Do not mail foreign records ... bring them to your Social Security office". What did you do?

Also, in the space for comments I let them know what other benefits I receive (e.g. UK state pension). Did they ask you for similar info after you'd applied?

Many thanks for all your help.

They required the same for my wife in 2020 when she applied through the FBU in London so we took the opportunity to send in mine as well as hers and they updated our records and returned our documents within a week. That was in the days when the FBU was actually functioning. I really don’t know what to suggest other than maybe calling and asking what to do.

For this online application I haven’t been asked for anything yet as they at least have it all recorded. The only document they said I might need is a marriage certificate if applying for spousal benefits which I am not, but my wife will be applying for spousal benefits once my application is approved as she should get a bump up in her SS based on my record as she earned much less and is receiving less than half of what I’ll be getting.

I've asked the FBU to make a claim for me (which they have not responded to), but I haven't applied directly online.

I've started to apply directly, via the ssa.gov link I refer to above. But I've quickly run into the mud. E.g. "Did you ever work in a job where U.S. Social Security taxes were not deducted or withheld?" - yes, I've spent most of my life working in the UK. But do they mean *US* job? This is why I was hoping for the FBU's help!

I started another thread regarding the lack of communication with FBU - specifically, for the past 8 months or so being completely unable to get anyone on the phone. If you haven't read it yet, maybe consider doing so.

There is an online "Contact us" link on the FBU Web page, but the downside of this is that you have no record of what you said or when you sent it. Better to use your own email account to email them at fbu.london@ssa.gov - they do tend to respond to these messages, although from my own experiences, if you message them just to say "I've submitted x, y and z, what stage am I at?" they just respond to say wait a while/it takes time. In my case, it's now 1 year and 7 months since I first submitted forms connected with WEP, and still no communication from FBU as to the progress.

It may be that they progress faster on new applications (I already receive SSA, so my queries are related to WEP kicking in when I started receiving UK state pension in April 2023).

Thanks. I was going to phone the FBU on Monday - we'll see where I get to! The email address you mention no longer elicits replies (well, not for over two months now). When I was making general enquiries about my eligibility in March, they replied quite promptly

Thanks. I was going to phone the FBU on Monday - we'll see where I get to! The email address you mention no longer elicits replies (well, not for over two months now). When I was making general enquiries about my eligibility in March, they replied quite promptly

AFAIK they are closed on Monday - see opening hours below.

You may already know this, but to call FBU, there are two numbers you can try (as per my post, though, neither has worked for me for the 8 months, during which I have definitely called over 100 times).

020 7891 3926 then press 1
020 7499 9000 then xt 23926 then Press 1

If I recall correctly, you can call either number, and then as soon as the recorded message kicks in, press either 1 (first number) or press 23926, wait until you are put through and then press 1 (second number).

Their (supposed) open hours have been reduced to Tuesday and Wednesday 930am to 1pm. They are also closed on various training days, all UK bank holidays and all US public holidays (so, pretty much any day that has a "y" in it). Even at times when I thought I had got through and was put on hold, the hold tone would eventually cut out and I'd hear once again the recording, "The Federal Benefits Unit is not open at this time ..." <<argh>>

Good luck. Please post back with progress.

Sounds horrendous! I'll let you know how I get on.

Sounds horrendous! I'll let you know how I get on.

Here is my thread on contacting FBU: https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=101348.0