Ask Larry

How Do I Request A Review To Recalculate My Benefit Rate?

What process do I go through to request a review to recalculate my Social Security pay/credits, based upon higher earnings now (over last 3 years as a LtCol USAF) and further much larger earnings, given that I am 64 years old, and will not stop full time nurse anesthesia (civilian) until 70 years old.

Hi. Social Security retirement benefits are based on an average of a person's highest 35 years of Social Security covered wage-indexed earnings, so additional years of earnings only increase a person's benefit rate if they're higher than one or more of the 35 years currently being used to calculate the person's benefit rate.

Social Security does automatically recompute benefit rates for people who are drawing benefits and who earn enough to increase their benefit rate. Therefore, you shouldn't need to do anything to receive any benefit rate increases for which you are due. However, if you think that your earnings since applying for benefits were high enough to increase your benefit rate you can ask for a manual recomputation by submitting a written request to your servicing Social Security office along with proof (e.g. W-2 forms for wages or Schedule SE from your tax return for self-employment) of your recent earnings. Form SSA-795 (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-795.pdf) is the preferred form to use for such written requests.

Best, Jerry

Category: 
Posted: 
Apr 7 2023 - 1:42pm
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