Hope someone has an answer for me (Applied for my SS)

debbie in seattle

debbie in seattle

Senior Member
Location
Seattle
New to this board, hope I'm posting in the right place.
Applied for my SS in early February and still have not received any information nor a check. I'm so frustrated. Originally I had applied online (giving myself enough time prior to a trip if any questions arose, I could answer or even go to the SS office and clarify), HUGE MISTAKE. It turns out when I was in my early 20's, I worked for a medical facility that had a 403B status. Throughout all these years, the information has been lost by this facility and me, being so young, really never thought about it nor even remembered any of this. Well, it's become a major issue to see how much money was in this account that SS taxes were never paid on. Believe me, if there was even $1,000 in the account, it'd be news to me. I have tried contacting the gal via phone and nada. Early May, I even made an apt to inquire about the status of my application. The gal I dealt with at the office wrote an email to the person dealing with my application I have still heard nothing!! I'm so frustrated and don't have a clue what to do.
Suggestions anyone??

Thanks so much. :nightmare:
 

I'm not sure I understand, I have worked for medical facilities for over 30 years.. all were non-profit and all had 403B retirement funds... I put my money in them Pre-tax ..and the company paid a small matching fund. I am 66 and I now collect my full Social Security. I don't see why contributing for a 403B account should be a problem. I applied at a SS office and the question of my 403B accounts never came up.


A not for profit, or a 403B corporation just means that IT is tax exempt. No corporation pays FICA on your income.. You pay the FICA out of your check. Since my 403B money was put in pre tax, I will pay tax on the money when I withdraw it, just like I will on my 401K accounts. There shouldn't be an issue with a 403B stopping you from collecting your Social Security..


Anyway.... this is why I had a big fight at the SS office.. I waited for over 2 hours and they told me that I had to use one of their computers to apply. I absolutely refused.... They said that they were short staffed and the wait would be HUGE... I said... "I'll wait".. and I waited.. until finally I got someone to help me one on one file my application. I told them that there was no way in hell I was going to file on line by myself. I was not comfortable and I was sure I would make mistakes. As I said. When I had a real live person at the SS office help me, it went off without a hitch.. My 403B accounts never came up. My advise is to go into a SS office and sit with a real live person and have him/her straighten it out.
 
Thanks, I'm aware of 403B's, etc. I've sent in the info I have and just so frustrated on what the problem could be. If the person working on my app would let me know, I'd feel better. Since I've gone to the local SS office and inquired and know an email was sent to her but no contact from her to answer my question, don't know what is left to do. To top it off, I'm drawing off my husband's benefits and not mine. Not a pleasant experience at all. I will say, I'd never advise anyone to apply online.
 

Believe me I know... and they try to push people to file online... but no way was I going to. I have worked too hard and too long to goof it up because of some dang computer. I always seem to have problems doing anything online anyway. No one at the SS office can look at your account and find out what is going on? Why does it have to be just that one person? I'm also not sure why you had to send in any info on your 403B account. It's not any different than a 401K for you. I wasn't even asked about either and believe me I have much more than $1,000 in them.
 
QuickSilver said:
Believe me I know... and they try to push people to file online... but no way was I going to. I have worked too hard and too long to goof it up because of some dang computer. I always seem to have problems doing anything online anyway. No one at the SS office can look at your account and find out what is going on? Why does it have to be just that one person? I'm also not sure why you had to send in any info on your 403B account. It's not any different than a 401K for you. I wasn't even asked about either and believe me I have much more than $1,000 in them.
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The medical facility I worked at 'lost' everyone's records concerning the 403B contributions. I agree, no one else can help me????? Hopefully soon........but then I've been saying that since February!! :(
 
I guess what I'm asking is what do your 403B contributions have to do with your collecting your SS? No one at the SS office even asked me about mine.. So what does the facility losing your records have to do with it? That's the part I'm not understanding. It doesn't sound right to me.
 
403(b) is similar to a 401(k). These numbers just refer to IRS tax codes, The main difference is that a 403(b) account means that the person holding such an account has worked for a non profit corporation such as a church, school or hospital. It has NO effect on Social Security benefits. It is an account that pays in addition to SS payments when and if the owner of the account chooses to withdraw from it and is not taken into consideration by the SSA. I know account holders of a 401(k) and/or 403(b) must start withdrawing at age 70 1/2.

When I decided to start drawing my SS payments, I did so online. It was a piece of cake. I believe the SSA has simplified it over the years compared to what it was when they first started having retirees sign up online.

I do not understand the confusion with your situation. SSA does not tax 403(b) or 401(k) accounts. The SS tax was paid at the time you earned the money. Only the FICA tax was deferred, if you chose to go that way, or you could have prepaid the tax and then when any of the funds were withdrawn, the tax would be owed only on the part of the money that the initial investment earned and that money would be paid to the IRS and not the SSA. (Most contributors to these accounts invested pre-tax to defer paying income tax until they withdrew the money and when their tax rate would be lower.)

I know this all sounds complicated, but if you have an Agency on Aging in your area, there should be someone there to help and guide you through this. As for not being able to locate the funds that were lost, all you need to know is who the administrators were of the account. Back in the day, many used insurance companies like Prudential to deposit these 403(b) funds into, while others used actual investment firms like Vanguard or Fidelity. Once you locate the administrator of your fund, they will ask you for you SS number and they should be able to locate your account in that manner. That money is somewhere and I would be looking for it, even if I had to contact former employees and ask them if they remember who the administrators of the accounts were.
 
I don't know what the issue is either. I do know that she was looking to see if I would fall under the windfall exemption act, if I did, you think after all these months, it'd be figured out.
 
Thanks Oldman... I thought there was no reason in the world a missing 403B account should be holding up a SS payment. Debbie, I'd be at the SS office raising holy hell... daily.. until someone straightened it out.. That's just nonsense.
 
I learn something every day here. Just Googled windfall exemptions. So it can affect the calculations. Evidently it's when you invest from earnings that did not require contributions to SS. There is an online calculator to do it so that can't be the hold up. You have to raise hell. I think someone dropped the ball at SS office, and if you don't it will just be forgotten.
 
Another 'payday' has come and gone and no money for me. I really wish there was someone out there that knew if there is a time limit once one applies for their benefits that they should hear something, anything, also would love to find out who this persons supervisor is, I'd definitely go that route. It seems as if the Social Security system is this deep hole that has no one to answer to and no supervisors to go to. I've gone to the office and that got me nowhere except an email sent to the gal I'm dealing with and her response was to mail me 2 weeks later a 'note' saying if I have any questions to make an apt with the local office! We have put aside any travels in case more info is needed to help expedite this process. I can't imagine if I was single or single and still had dependents at home. My plan is to make an another appointment and go back down to the Social Security office.
 
You should try contacting your US Congressman's office for help. They can cut through a lot of federal bureaucratic crap and straighten things out, and they'll DO it. I had a problem with IRS that went on and an and on and someone suggested it to me and in desperation I contacted my senator's office and in a matter of a couple weeks they straightened out something that had gone on over a year. It is certainly worth a shot and they can probably straighten it out for you. The various federal agencies don't like getting congressional inquiries and they will usually hop-to to get the matter straightened out. Congressional offices have aides that do that sort of stuff as a public service; they really are very effective.
 
Sorry you have to go through this. I think you would have to go to the SS office to resolve the issue as I am unaware of 403B accounts having anything to do with SS, but then I could be wrong.

I had to file quickly as I had received notification from my employer that my position was being eliminated. I applied first for survivor's benefits so I had to go to the office as I want to wait till I hit 70 to collect on my own SS. I went on March 23, received my 6 month retro payment on April 1st and my first SS deposit in May as they advised. I also had to file for Part B Medicare as I had medical insurance with my former employer and could not use it at that time.
 
That's where I'm at with Medicare. I have part A... but since I am working and have employer insurance, I have not taken part B. BUt when I do retire, I have to go in with an letter from my employer stating that I have had private insurance so as not to run into a penalty for not taking part B when I turned 65.
 
QuickSilver said:
That's where I'm at with Medicare. I have part A... but since I am working and have employer insurance, I have not taken part B. BUt when I do retire, I have to go in with an letter from my employer stating that I have had private insurance so as not to run into a penalty for not taking part B when I turned 65.
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BUt when I do retire, I have to go in with an letter from my employer stating that I have had private insurance so as not to run into a penalty for not taking part B when I turned 65.

I'm doing the same QS, but I didn't know about that letter! Now I do, thanks.
 
RadishRose said:
BUt when I do retire, I have to go in with an letter from my employer stating that I have had private insurance so as not to run into a penalty for not taking part B when I turned 65.

I'm doing the same QS, but I didn't know about that letter! Now I do, thanks.
Click to expand...

You can pick up the form, it's called and affidavit, from your SS office and have your HR department fill it out for you. Then you take it back to SS when you apply for Part B. Otherwise you may have to pay more for your part B.
 
It's me again, the original poster. I have YET to receive any social security benefits. As someone on this board suggested, I contacted my Congressman (thanks for the suggestion). On Friday I received a call from the gal in SS that has my application falling all over herself apologizing and trying to tell me how hard she's working on finding the information she needs to complete my application. From what she has told me, more than likely I am NOT eligible to receive any benefits my husband is drawing on and I am going to only receive ~$350 a month. The problem is, when I worked for Pac Med Seattle (health care), they cannot 'find' whether the pension plan they offered was a defined contribution plan or a defined pension plan. Needless to say, I'm just sick about this. PacMed claims to of 'lost' all those records and 'can't find them'. I am just sick, have no idea where to turn or who to go to.
Can you imagine $350 a month?
Suggestions/advice anyone?
 
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