4. Workers Who Retire in Certain Foreign Countries
If you live outside the US and decide to retire, you must know that there are a few countries to which the US government cannot send your Social Security payments. These countries are as follows:
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Cuba
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Moldova
- North Korea
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan.
If you live in one of these countries and you’re thinking about retiring there, keep in mind that exceptions may be available. Unfortunately, North Korea and Cuba take no exceptions. The government’s Payments Abroad Screening Tool is a simple way to find if you will be able to further obtain Social Security benefits while living abroad or if restrictions will apply.
17 thoughts on “8 Types of Americans Who Aren’t Eligible to Get Social Security”
Those people that were employed by the Federal Government do not receive social security benefits because they receive a Civil Service pension. They were entitled to receive SS benefits as a wife or widow until the Reagan Adm passed the law that stopped those benefits. So if you are a wife or. Widow that had the gumption to go out and work for the federal gov you are penalized unless your civil service pension is very low. Also at that time the social security money was separate from the general fund; putting social security money into the general fund was spent and now we are endanger of social security money being phased out by 2035.
If I never worked a day in my life (especially as a dedicated federal employee) I would be entitled to widows social security benefits, but now I am not entitled to any social security benefits.
I didn’t get my full Social Security because I retired from a town and got a county retirement. I had my full 40 quarters and they kept most of it. It’s not fair!!!!! I earned it and should have received it.
I really don’t like hearing that kind of thing. But when it has happened, people should tell their story ! I was shocked when I learned there is something called Supplimental Security Income.
The Social Security people can explain it to you. They are the ones that take care of it.
God bless you, and I hope all goes well for you. Merry Christmas to you also !
Patricia Davidson
Marysville Ohio
That was established during the Ronald Regan era., His administration thought it was “Double Dipping”. The same for all pension holders especially Police that have an internal Pension Plan system.
I agree Barbara. I’m in the same boat b/c I retired from a gov’t job. You’re right, not fair.
There are two pieces of legislation that prevents/reduces retired individuals in 15 States from receiving SS benefits even if the individuals have put in their 40 quarters before having worked for and receiving a federal/state pension. One is called the Windfall Elimination Provision or WEP and the other is the Government Pension Offset or GPO which is a law that affects spouses and widows or widowers. If you are in the following States, you will be subject to these laws: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia (certain local governments), Illinois, Kentucky, (certain local governments), Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island (certain local governments), Texas. These laws mostly affect teachers, police officers, fire fighters and nurses who work for city and county hospitals and these punitive laws mostly affect women pushing them into poverty after serving the public for many years. I am a retired teacher in California and we, in California, recognized this problem years ago when several of our retirees lived in abject poverty after teaching for over 40 years. We formed a non-partisan group called CalRTA to lobby our legislators in Congress regarding this injustice. This year the Bill in Congress is called H.R. 82, authored by Reps. Garret N. Graves (R-LA) and Abigail A Spanberger (D-VA), and it calls for the repeal of these laws. If you want to know more about this, go to Congress.gov and insert HR 82 or you can contact me at sharynn8@yahoo.com.
Same here. 32 years working for a town. Retirement paid by state. Had to earn 10 more quarters to qualify after all that. Paid my own Medicare for 5 years. Finally got Social Security at 70. It pays for my Medicare, but I get less than $100 Social Security, and probably less each year with price hikes and increase in Medical plans. So much for the Golden Years.
I worked as an Auditor for the state and then federal government before they were covered social security and because I left before retirement age, they only returned what I paid into the retirement.
If the illegal aliens are getting free everything from united states citizens then every American should receive benefits if people don’t stand up for there rights then America is screwed go vote and vote for someone who cares about the united states of America not themselves the people running the country now don’t care about the citizens of America look at what they are doing your money is going to people that are not American people and you’re letting them do it .let’s go Brandon!
I do not have social security or medicare because I worked for the Postal Service and elected to become a CSRS employee. I received Medicare Part A and kept my postal health insurance.
They missed those individuals that were subject to Selective Service registration (draft) and did not. You must have registered for the draft if required to receive Social Security.
I retired from a municipality and have a pension from the town government. I started at a young age only having paid into social security for 4 yrs prior. I spent 6 yrs in the state militia and paid federal income taxes for 34 yrs. I am not in need of social security but I am disappointed that medicare is not available to me.
Too many Americans are collecting SSD, Social Security Disability benefits who can work they are NOT disabled.
Let’s see a story on those who collect Social Security or SSI without ever paying a dime into the system.
If you paid it in you should get it back. NO illegals should get a cent. It should be simple and straightforward to get, not the complicated lawyer required mess that it is now.
I also had 40 credits but because I am a teacher, they keep the majority of my benefits, and I cannot claim my spouse’s. Even though he paid into SS most of his life. It is like I am being punished for being a teacher and serving my community.
Many “illegals” have paid into Social Security accounts for years, by either providing an ITIN or others means. I do agree that if someone has paid into the system, and has the required quarters, they should be allowed to collect their benefits.