Social Security Retirement Benefits From Both France and the USA?

I worked the for past 7 years in France. I can collect French social security retirement benefits at age 60 there which is in about 8 months. They want me to supply all my work related information from the US. Should I provide this information to them? How will any French retirement benefit affect my US benefits? The majority of my work experience for 30+ years is from the USA.

Public Comments

1. You need to supply the information. Note, the US and France have a totalization agreement to ensure that you can collect under at least one system if you do not qualify under either one. Clearly with 30+ years under social security you qualify. http://www.ssa.gov/international/Agreement_Pamphlets/france.html Benefits from the U.S––If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both U.S. and French credits. However, to be eligible to have your French credits counted, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the United States cannot count your French credits. <<--French work will not change your US benefits. Benefits from France––Under French law, a worker can qualify for an old-age pension based on as little as one calendar quarter of contributions but the benefit amount is reduced for workers with less than 150-160 quarters (depending on year of birth). Under the agreement, France will compute an old-age benefit based on French credits alone as well as a prorated benefit based on U.S. and French credits, and then pay whichever is greater. If you don’t have enough work credits under the French system to qualify for regular disability or survivors benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from France based on both U.S. and French credits. However, to be eligible to have your U.S. credits counted, you must have at least one year of coverage under the French system.