Thread: Senator Craig (I) Illegal Immigrants And Social Security

Larry Craig (I) On Illegal Immigrants and Social Security
June 27, 2007

I continue to hear from Idahoans concerned that our country is negotiating agreements to enable illegal aliens to earn Social Security benefits. That's not true.

Since the late 1970's, the United States has negotiated international agreements concerning the U.S. Social Security program and comparable programs of other countries. These international agreements are called "totalization agreements" and have two main purposes: to eliminate double social security taxation that occurs when workers from one country work legally in another country and are required to pay social security taxes in both countries on the same earnings; and to help fill gaps in benefit protection for workers who have careers divided between the United States and another country, but who have not worked long enough to qualify for social security benefits.

The United States has entered into totalization agreements with twenty-one countries, including Canada, Chile, South Korea, Australia, and most of Western Europe. Totalization agreements only affect foreign workers sent to work legally in the United States, or U.S. workers hired in the United States and sent to work in a foreign country. These agreements do not affect Social Security policy for illegal workers. I support current totalization agreements because they provide fair Social Security compensation for workers who have jobs that require them to work in more than one country.

Considerable misinformation is being circulated about totalization agreements and illegal immigrants. The facts are these: Since most work in America is covered by Social Security, it is true that illegal immigrants who are employed here are automatically paying into the Social Security system. However, that does not mean they receive benefits; federal law prohibits Social Security from providing benefits to aliens residing in the United States unlawfully. Furthermore, Congress has not passed legislation to allow illegal immigrants access to these benefits.

How long does it take to qualify for SS? How many years?

I don't remember.

How many Mexicans have come to the US LEGALLY and paid SS?

Enough to justify the SS office that is/was planned to be opened in Mexico?

I think as long as you have worked at all qualifies you for the minmum social security, regardless of how little you worked.

He is not addressing the fact that in the immigration bill they were going to let illegal immigrants pay back taxes at least a small portion of back taxes and that would have made them eligable for social security, so BS Craig the liar you were going to give SS benifits to illegal aliens, stupid. Not only that U.S. citizens have to pay in 40 quarters and the Hispanics had to only pay in something like 9. you are out of office in 2008 jerk!!


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SOSAD, take a look at my post on Idaho and SSP. I think for our project, we need to contact JoAnn Wood, our State Rep.

And you're right, Craig has to go and he will, because we'll see to it.

Originally Posted by tinybobidaho

SOSAD, take a look at my post on Idaho and SSP. I think for our project, we need to contact JoAnn Wood, our State Rep.

And you're right, Craig has to go and he will, because we'll see to it.

OK i'll check it out!!

When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn up to a maximum of four "credits" for each year. The way you earn a credit has changed over the years.

Before 1978, employers reported your earnings every 3 months and we called credits "quarters of coverage", or QCs. Back then, you got a QC or credit if you earned at least $50 in a 3-month calendar quarter.

In 1978, employers started reporting your earnings just once a year. Credits are now based on your total wages and self-employment income during the year, no matter when you did the actual work. You might work all year to earn four credits, or you might earn enough for all four in a much shorter length of time.

The amount of earnings it takes to earn a credit changes each year. In the year 2007, you must earn $1,000 in covered earnings to get one Social Security or Medicare work credit and $4,000 to get the maximum four credits for the year.

(NOTE: You do not earn credits for pension payments or for interest or dividends on savings and investments. You do not pay Social Security tax on that kind of income.)

During your lifetime, you probably will earn more credits than the minimum number you need to be eligible for benefits. These extra credits do not increase your benefit amount. Your average earnings over your working years determine how much your monthly payment will be.

The number of work credits you need to get retirement benefits depends on your date of birth.

If you were born in 1929 or later, you need 40 credits (10 years of work). People born before 1929 need fewer than 40 credits (39 credits if born in 1928; 38 credits if born in 1927; etc.)

The number of work credits needed for disability benefits depend on your age when you become disabled. Generally you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.

The rules are as follows:

Before age 24--You may qualify if you have 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability starts.

Age 24 to 31--You may qualify if you have credit for working half the time between age 21 and the time you become disabled. For example, if you become disabled at age 27, you would need credit for 3 years of work (12 credits) out of the past 6 years (between ages 21 and 27).

Age 31 or older--In general, you need to have the number of work credits shown in the chart below. Unless you are blind, you must have earned at least 20 of the credits in the 10 years immediately before you became disabled.

Born after 1929, Became Disabled At Age: Number of Credits You Need:
31 through 42 20
44 22
46 24
48 26
50 28
52 30
54 32
56 34
58 36
60 38
62 or older 40

The number of credits you need to have family members be eligible for survivors benefits depends on your age when you die. The younger you are, the fewer credits you need, but nobody needs more than 40 credits (10 years of work).

Under a special rule, we can pay benefits to your children and your spouse who is caring for the children even if you don't have the number of credits needed. They can get benefits if you have credits for one and one-half year's work (6 credits) in the three years just before your death.

NOTE: If you are already receiving retirement or disability benefits at the time of your death, we will pay your survivors based on that entitlement. We will not have to determine your credits again.

http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/credits1.htm

Thanks, girlygirl. We can always depend on you to be on top of things. Good work.

I didn't do the math to figure how many credits one would need to be eligible - say born in 1970, but again -

If this totalization thing is based on LEGALLY working and paying taxes, how many Mexicans - in the past - have LEGALLY worked and paid SS taxes in America? Very few, I would guess. Yet there was talk and it may have happened, of opening a SS office in Mexico to 'accomodate' ALL those people?

This sounds like another back door try to me --

I didn't do the math to figure how many credits one would need to be eligible - say born in 1970, but again -

If this totalization thing is based on LEGALLY working and paying taxes, how many Mexicans - in the past - have LEGALLY worked and paid SS taxes in America? Very few, I would guess. Yet there was talk and it may have happened, of opening a SS office in Mexico to 'accomodate' ALL those people?

This sounds like another back door try to me --