First, thank you for your calculator.

Your report was within a few dollars of what SS is showing as my PIA.

In the 70's I worked on a Rail Road for 7 years and had RR earnings withheld instead of SS.

I didn't work long enough for a RR Pension and was told my earnings would transfer to SS. The earnings did show on my SS Reports for many years, then about 10 years ago they disappeared from my SS Report.

SS told me that they were still used in formulating my PIA, but SS just quit showing them in the Earnings Report.

Then I typed the missing earnings into your calculator.

I ran the report and my benefits are showing as being drastically higher than what my SS report is showing.

Apparently SS not only quit listing the RR on my Earnings Report, but they DIDN'T use it in computing my benefits.

Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to have SS include my RR earnings?

Hi,

Not to worry. When you actually apply for Social Security benefits, the Social Security Administration will contact the Railroad Retirement Board to obtain your railroad earnings, and will use them in the calculation of your Social Security benefit amount. There is no way to transfer the credits before you apply, since each agency maintains separate records of your earnings history.

Obviously, this can result in an incorrect estimate of your benefit amount, which Social Security acknowledges with a note to that effect on both the mailed and online versions of 'Your Social Security Statement'. Fortunately, you can get a much more accurate estimate of your actual benefit amount by including your railroad earnings on our calculator.

Best, Jerry