Year | Average of the total wages of all workers |
1937 | $1,137.96 |
1938 | 1,053.24 |
1939 | 1,142.36 |
1940 | 1,195.00 |
1941 | 1,276.04 |
1942 | 1,454.28 |
1943 | 1,713.52 |
1944 | 1,936.32 |
1945 | 2,021.40 |
1946 | 1,891.76 |
1947 | 2,175.32 |
1948 | 2,361.64 |
1949 | 2,483.20 |
1950 | 2,543.96 |
Example 1: C attains age 62 in 1982 and needs 31 QC's to be insured. C worked under the U.S. system from July 1, 1974 to December 31, 1980 and therefore has only 61/2 years during which he worked under the U.S. system (26 QC's). C, however, has worked under the Social Security system of a foreign country that is party to a totalization agreement, and his total U.S. and foreign work, combined as described in § 404.1908 , equals more than 31 QC's. Thus, the combined coverage gives C insured status. The benefit is computed as follows:
Step 1: Establish C's theoretical earnings record:
The following table shows: (1) C's actual U.S. covered earnings for each year, (2) the average of the total wages of all workers for that year and (3) the ratio of (1) to (2):
Year | QC's | C's actual U.S. covered earnings | National average wage | Percentage ratio of (1) to (2) |
(1) | (2) | (3) | ||
1974 | 2 | $2,045.08 | $8,030.76 | 25.46558 |
1975 | 4 | 7,542.00 | 8,630.92 | 87.38350 |
1976 | 4 | 9,016.00 | 9,226.48 | 97.71874 |
1977 | 4 | 9,952.00 | 9,779.44 | 101.76452 |
1978 | 4 | 10,924.00 | 10,556.03 | 103.48587 |
1979 | 4 | 12,851.00 | 11,479.46 | 111.94777 |
1980 | 4 | 11,924.00 | 12,513.46 | 95.28939 |
C's REP is the average of the ratios in column 3, adjusted to take account of the fact that C had only 2 QC's in 1974. Thus, the REP equals the sum of the figures in column 3 (623.05537), divided by the total number of C's QC's (26) and multiplied by 4, or 95.85467 percent.
Since C attained age 62 in 1982, his computation base years are 1951 through 1981. To establish his theoretical earnings record we use 95.85467 percent of the national average wage for each of the years 1951 through 1981. Since national average wage data is not available for 1981, for that year we attribute 95.85467 percent of the national average wage for 1980 or $11,994.74. His theoretical earnings record would look like this:
1951 | $2,683.13 |
1952 | 2,850.07 |
1953 | 3,009.30 |
1954 | 3,024.83 |
1955 | 3,164.58 |
1956 | 3,385.93 |
1957 | 3,490.76 |
1958 | 3,521.51 |
1959 | 3,695.96 |
1960 | 3,841.01 |
1961 | 3,917.35 |
1962 | 4,113.51 |
1963 | 4,214.38 |
1964 | 4,386.62 |
1965 | 4,465.60 |
1966 | 4,733.65 |
1967 | 4,997.33 |
1968 | 5,340.79 |
1969 | 5,649.44 |
1970 | 5,929.80 |
1971 | 6,227.75 |
1972 | 6,838.08 |
1973 | 7,265.94 |
1974 | 7,697.86 |
1975 | 8,273.14 |
1976 | 8,844.01 |
1977 | 9,374.05 |
1978 | 10,118.45 |
1979 | 11,003.60 |
1980 | 11,994.74 |
1981 | 11,994.74 |
Step 2: Compute the theoretical PIA: Since C attains age 62 in 1982, we determine his theoretical PIA using an AIME computation. In applying the AIME computation, we index each year's earnings on the theoretical earnings record in accordance with § 404.211(d) . In this example, the theoretical PIA is $453.
Step 3: Compute the pro rata PIA:
Theoretical PIA | ||
- Actual U.S. QC's | ||
calendar quarters in | ||
benefit computation years | ||
$453 - 26 QC's (61/2 years) | ||
104 quarters (26 years) | ||
= $113.20 pro rata PIA |
Example 2: M needs 27 QC's to be insured, but she has only 3 years of work (12 QC's) under the U.S. system. M has enough foreign work, however, to be insured. She attained age 62 in 1978, and her U.S. covered earnings were in 1947, 1948 and 1949. Based on M's date of birth, her theoretical PIA can be computed, in accordance with § 404.220 , under a new start method. If M's earnings in 1947, 1948, and 1949 were 50 percent, 60 percent and 70 percent, respectively, of the average wage for each year, her REP would be 60 percent. For each year in the computation period, 60 percent of the average wage for that year will be attributed as M's assumed earnings. The theoretical PIA will then be computed as described in §§ 404.220 through 404.222 .
To determine M's pro rata PIA, the theoretical PIA will be multiplied by the ratio of the actual number of U.S. QC's to the number of calendar quarters in the benefit computation years. There are 22 benefit computation years, or 88 quarters. The pro rata PIA would, therefore, be 12/88 * theoretical PIA.
20 C.F.R. §404.1918