It was not too long ago that any working SSI beneficiary had quite limited and decidedly 20th century methods for reporting his earnings to Social Security. Those options expanded with the introduction of the automated Telephone Wage Reporting system (SSITWR) and the Mobile Wage Reporting application (SSIMWR). Those methods remain (for further details on those you can go to our blog here: https://www.mdbenefitscounseling.org/wage-reporting-options-for-ssi-recipients) but in an exciting development Social Security has now opened up another avenue as SSI and concurrent recipients can now report using the same on-line system that has been available to Title II beneficiaries for the past few months.

Now an SSI beneficiary can set up a my Social Security account and use the wage reporting application through that system. As with the other methods of reporting a beneficiary will initially have to contact Social Security to make them aware that she is employed and give details of the employer so that it can be added into the system. Social Security will need to have the Employer Identification Number (EIN) in order to do that, but once the system’s in place it is simply a matter of going on-line and recording the details on the pay stub. For more detail on this form of wage reporting you can see our blog here: https://www.mdbenefitscounseling.org/new-online-wage-reporting-for-ssdi-beneficiaries

There are a couple of differences for SSI reporters as the system will only accept wages reported for the month immediately prior to the month in which the wages were reported, so, for example, someone using this method in June could only report her wages for May. Also, Social Security highly recommend that the past month’s wages be reported by the 6th day of the following month so that they can better keep on track with calculating monthly SSI amounts.

For more details of the new regulations you can go here: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/reference.nsf/links/06012018080006AM