What's new

American Social Security and Japanese pensions

musicisgood

Sempai
Donor
4 Sep 2015
2,073
1,458
180
there are to forms you need to be aware of
SSA-308
Windfall Elimination Provision

As I found out today, Social Security takes a deduction out of my Social Security payments because I get kokumin nenkin.
My payments from Japanese kokumin nenkin is right around 33000 yen every two months
My American SS is small since I haven't paid into it for over 20 years. America and Japan has an agreement.

So for those of you going to get your American SS, beware, it WILL be reduced in the future.

This shitte sucks.
I will lose about 150 to 200 bucks as I was told from the Tokyo US Embassy

Its true, you work till you drop.
 
The WEP was instituted with the chaos among US pension systems in mind (not expats). Police and firemen typically have their own pensions--along with early eligibility (early retirement options). Teachers also have their own pension systems (Illinois has a state-based one), and tho they're less lucrative than police/fire, they can still be pretty nice (in spite of Illinois being effectively bankrupt). Military, too, where you can retire at 20yrs, and then go on to some other kind of work. The WEP stops those classes of people from being able to collect two full pensions--SS is reduced based on what they may be collecting via some other channel.

Expats are coincidentally caught up by that (and I think are a smaller group than those others). Once upon a time, say back in the 80s and before, expats could collect both, since at that time there was little information-sharing going on (even reporting foreign income was not always done) . Not these days...!

Probably not relevant here, but there are also outside income thresholds for SS recipients--if you make too much (even passive income), your SS benefits will be reduced. At least that's not the case in japan.
 
Johnny thank you very much
I didn't know about this
my japanese pension is about 140 usd a month
the reduction in my ss payments will take take that away from me
oh well, i have my health
 
Back
Top Bottom