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Which Social Security form needed to report increased pension income?

I just got notified that my teacher's pension is increasing by about $420 a month starting next quarter. I'm also receiving Social Security retirement benefits (turned 67 last year). I know I need to report this income change to SSA since it might affect my benefits due to WEP, but I can't figure out which form to use. Is there a specific form for reporting pension increases? Should I just call them? I tried to find info on the SSA website but got lost in all the links. Any help would be appreciated!

Aria Khan

you dont need a form just call the 800 number and tell them. they'll make a note in ur record. thats what i did when my fire dept pension went up

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Reginald Blackwell

Thanks! Have you had any luck getting through on the 800 number lately? Last time I tried I was on hold for over an hour and then got disconnected.

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Everett Tutum

You should complete Form SSA-131 (Employer Report of Special Wage Payments). This is the correct form for reporting changes to pension amounts when you're receiving Social Security retirement benefits and are subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). You can download it from the SSA website or pick it up at your local office. Make sure you have documentation of the pension increase from your pension administrator when you submit it. Any change in your non-covered pension can affect your Social Security benefit calculation.

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Sunny Wang

That's actually not right. SSA-131 is for employers to report special wage payments, not for beneficiaries to report pension increases. There isn't actually a specific form for individuals to report pension changes - you need to contact SSA directly by phone or in person at your local office.

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Hugh Intensity

You don't need a specific form. What you need to do is report the change by either: 1. Calling your local office directly (much faster than the main 800 number) 2. Scheduling an in-person appointment using the online scheduler 3. Writing a letter to your local office with proof of the pension increase I recommend option #1. Changes to non-covered pensions that might affect WEP need to be reported, and they'll recalculate your benefit amount based on the new information. Make sure you have the letter showing your new pension amount handy when you call. The reason there's no specific form is that pension changes need to be evaluated individually by an SSA claims specialist because of how WEP calculations work.

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Effie Alexander

THIS!!!!! The local office is ALWAYS better than that stupid 800 number. I spent 3 HOURS on hold with the national number last month and got disconnected right when someone picked up. RIDICULOUS!!! I was literally trying to report almost the same thing - my state pension went up after our union negotiated a COLA increase.

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Melissa Lin

When my husband's pension increased last year, we tried calling for weeks with no luck. Then we found this service called Claimyr that got us through to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. Worked great and saved us a trip to the office. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Way better than waiting all day!

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Reginald Blackwell

I've never heard of this service before. Has anyone else used it? Seems like it might be worth trying if it actually works.

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Lydia Santiago

My sister used that Claimyr thing when she needed to talk to someone about her widows benefits. Said it worked pretty good.

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Hugh Intensity

Back to your original question - there's an important distinction here: If you receive a pension from employment where you PAID Social Security taxes, you don't need to report increases. But since you mentioned WEP, I'm assuming your teacher's pension is from employment where you DIDN'T pay Social Security taxes. In that case, yes, you must report the increase because it can affect your benefit calculation. The most efficient method is to call your local office (use the Field Office Locator on SSA.gov to find the direct number) and have them document the change in their system. Have your pension award letter showing the increase ready when you call.

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Reginald Blackwell

Yes, exactly - my teaching career was in Illinois where teachers don't pay into Social Security. I'll try to call my local office directly then. Thanks for the detailed explanation!

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Aria Khan

dont u also need to tell them if ur still working? my friend got in trouble cuz he didnt tell them he was still substitute teaching while getting SS

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Hugh Intensity

That's a different issue. What you're referring to is the Retirement Earnings Test, which applies if you're working and receiving benefits before your Full Retirement Age. The original poster mentioned they're 67, which means they're past their FRA (currently between 66-67 depending on birth year), so the earnings test no longer applies to them. They can earn any amount from work without it reducing their Social Security benefit. However, pension increases from non-covered employment (where no SS taxes were paid) can still affect benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

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Sunny Wang

When I had to report my pension increase last year, I ended up faxing a letter with my pension documentation to my local office after failing to reach anyone by phone. They processed it within a couple weeks and sent me a letter confirming the change. Sometimes the old-school methods work better than trying to navigate their phone system!

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Reginald Blackwell

That's not a bad idea actually. I could just send in the documentation with a letter explaining the situation. Did your benefit amount change after you reported the pension increase?

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Sunny Wang

Yes, my benefit was reduced by about $60/month after I reported my pension increase. Not ideal, but better than getting hit with an overpayment notice later. That happened to my neighbor and she had to pay back over $5,000!

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Effie Alexander

OMG the whole WEP thing is SUCH A SCAM!!! I worked for 20 years in the private sector paying into SS and then 15 years teaching in Texas. They've cut my SS benefit by almost HALF because of my teacher pension. It's TOTALLY UNFAIR! They're basically STEALING money I earned!!!!!

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Hugh Intensity

While WEP can feel unfair, it's designed to address a specific issue with the Social Security benefit formula. Without WEP, people with non-covered pensions would receive proportionally larger SS benefits than people who paid into SS their entire careers. The formula provides higher replacement rates for lower earners, and without WEP, time spent in non-covered employment would appear as 'low earnings' rather than what it actually is - earnings covered by a separate pension system. That said, there are ongoing legislative efforts to reform WEP. The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act has been introduced several times to modify how WEP is calculated.

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Reginald Blackwell

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to try calling my local office first thing tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work, I'll try the Claimyr service that a couple of you mentioned. I'll also have my pension increase letter ready to fax or mail if needed. I appreciate all the suggestions!

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