I'm hopeful that there may be someone on the Forum who maybe has experience of an incorrect Social Security Record and was successful in getting it rectified.
I've alluded to this issue on a couple of other posts, but here is the full story:
Be warned, it goes back a long way and it's a bit of a long story!
Back in 1993 I had two employments in different states when I changed jobs. The first part of the year was in Arizona, when I received 2 x W-2's for earnings for the this part of the year (my employer changed the paying entity for some reason). From mid-year my family & I moved to Hawaii (yeah I know!
) I received my W-2 from this employer for the earnings from them. I filed my Federal and State (both Arizona & Hawaii) Income tax returns on time disclosing all earnings that year and there were no issues.
In 1996 we left the US and returned to the UK (picked up USC along the way) At that time I hadn't fully appreciated that I had accumulated 36 quarters of Social Security Credits.
I didn't file any US tax returns after 1996 not fully appreciating that the US assesses tax on Worldwide Income.
Fast forward to 2016 and with an impending significant Capital Gains Tax event (Company Share sale & exit) I was advised during due diligence that I should be filing US tax returns. I then went through the Streamlined Procedures and got everything in order.
It was then that I started looking at eligibility for Social Security retirement income! - 2 things popped out:
1. I needed 4 more credits of US income
2. My 1993 earnings were wrong! Only my Arizona earnings were on record - Hawaii was missing.
I had an opportunity in 2017 to do some work in New Mexico that was enough to get me the 4 additional credits - done and fixed. It straddled into 2018 and so I now have 44 credits.
While in New Mexico I took the opportunity to visit the local SS office in Santa Fe, took my 1993 W-2's with me and was hopeful of getting the record corrected - fat chance - their records at that time only had 36 credits, they weren't interested and I was told come back when I have 40 credits and it's time to start drawing income.
When the additional credits appeared on my records (I only receive annual paper copies as I can't register for My Social Security) I promptly wrote to the SS International Office in Baltimore (twice now), explained the situation, attached copies of my W-2's and asked for the records to be corrected - not even a reply.
So here I am now - I've downloaded the ANYPIA calculator and the missing earnings (subject to the annual cap of $57,600 in 1993) would account for an additional $47.80 per month of retirement for me and my wife after 40% WEP) - not a huge amount income but multiply it out over say 20 years (I should be so lucky!
) at it comes to over $11k before any inflationary increases, so not to be sniffed at - and would buy a few beers on holiday if I ever get back to Hawaii!
Full Retirement Age is in November this year and I have contacted the FBU in London to start the process but am waiting to hear back form them - hopeful that maybe they can help.
I've done some on line research with the Social Security POM and also U.S. Code Title 42 CHAPTER 7 SUBCHAPTER II ยง 405 (seen here
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/405 ) - section (c) 5 seems to be relevant here as it it clear (at least to me!) that it is an omission on the part of SS because I had filed my federal and state income tax returns correctly and on time for 1993.
So the big question is:
If I get no joy with the FBU (acknowledging that many on the Forum say how knowledgeable and helpful they are) - I presumably then have to file a request in writing with the Commissioner of Social Security to have my records reviewed and corrected.
Does anyone know how I go about making such a request? my experience with SS (as outlined above) is not good and I really would like to get this matter resolved.
Thanks for listening to my story!
