Social Security

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:43 pm

At a dinner party recently, there were two people who worked in the States for five years before emigrating to Canada and becoming citizens. They do not have enough quarters to collect Social Security. There were also two people who are Canadian, one of whom worked in the States for three years. She collects a few hundred dollars a month Social Security and her husband about a hundred dollars as a dependent. How is this possible?

nelsona · Post by **nelsona** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 4:01 pm

Because the second pair you spoke to are more savvy and well-informed, just like you are becoming.

The first pair should be contacting SSA, and notifying them that they are eligible to collect SS based on their Cdn work history, as long as they also worked for 5 years in canada, they too are eligible to collect SS, just like the second pair. The mechanism is known as the totalization agreement. The first pair may even have been eligible due to work done previous to entering the US, if theuir country had such an agreement with US as well.

It is not the SSA's responsiobility to chase folk down and pay them.