Full question: If I have 36 points in US Social Security, and have a pension from European countries that have totalization agreement with US, will I avoid the WEP if I DON’T fulfill the 10 year rule/40 points minimum, or will I be not eligible for US pension at all?

Hi there,

If you do not have the 40 Social Security credits, then you do not qualify to collect benefits.

However, based on the wording of your question, it may be that the foreign “pension” is actually Social Security from another country. If that is the case, the totalization agreement between the US and that county would allow you to use the credits from each to equal the total 40 needed.

You can find more information on the specific county totalization agreement, if there is one, here.

For personalized assistance, schedule a call with an RSSA here.

All the best,
Martha

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