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What To Do If Social Security's Record Of Your Earnings Is Not Correct

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A minimum number of work credits are required in order to obtain Social Security Disability benefits. Check your credits before starting the application process.

You can have your record corrected if it is wrong.

If Earnings For Last Year Or The Current Year Are Not On Your Record

  • Earnings For Last Year: Social Security may still be processing your earnings for last year, so they may not show up yet on your record. If you had more than one employer during the year, each one reports separately and the information may be added to your record at different times.
  • Earnings For The Current Year: Your earnings for the current year won't be reported to Social Security until next year.

What To Do If There Is An Error

  • What if you find that Social Security's Record of your earnings is not correct? For example, if you find that some earnings have not been credited. Contact Social Security toll-free at 1.800.772.1213, 7AM to 7PM in your local area, every business day. If you would rather take your records to your local Social Security office, locate your local field office by clicking on www.socialsecurity.gov/regions/regional.html offsite link
  • If Social Security cannot locate missing records of your earnings, it will write your employer and request an earnings statement, a W-2 form, pay envelope, pay slips or personal records of your wages. If you and the employer disagree, Social Security will help to obtain evidence to settle the matter.
  • If you are self-employed, you may submit a copy of your tax return along with evidence the return had been filed timely with the IRS (such as canceled checks or IRS receipts.) If a partnership is involved, a copy of Form 1065 should be furnished.

Time Limit For Correcting Your Record

The time limit for correcting your record is set by law at 3 years, 3 months and 15 days after the year in which the wages were paid or the self-employment income was earned. However, the Social Security Act also defines exceptions to protect Social Security contributors from unfair treatment because of any delay on the part of the Social Security Administration in processing earnings. The exceptions permit Social Security to correct errors after the statute has expired. They include authority for Social Security to:

  • Confirm records with tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
  • Correct errors due to employee omissions from processed employer reports or missing reports.
  • Correct errors "on the face of the record," that is, errors Social Security can find by examining their records of processed reports; and
  • Include wages reported by an employer as paid to an individual but not show in Social Security's records.

After Your Record Is Corrected

Social Security will mail you a letter telling you the correction has been made. Your next annual Statement after that will also show the correction. 

If you need an updated Statement sooner than the next annual issuance, you can request one after you get your letter about the correction. NOTE: If you are automatically receiving Social Security Statements about three months before your birthday each year, this request will stop your next scheduled mailing. You won't receive another automatic statement until the following year.

 


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