# Social Security Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718 "2008-08-20T20:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@Patster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patster)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/1 "2008-08-20T20:41:09Z")
How does social security verify missing earnings when a company has been closed for approximately 25 to 30 years?? I no longer have proof of earnings. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/2 "2008-08-20T21:37:46Z")
I thought SS kept track of all the money paid out to them. A company not being around doesn’t matter. Or am I missing the question? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/3 "2008-08-21T01:50:18Z")
Speaking as a former SSA employee: It depends what you mean by “missing earnings”. Do you mean wages that you earned but are not shown on your record? It is possible that your (presumably} former employer reported your earning under an incorrect SSN. If that is the case, and no action was taken to correct the record at that time (which the IRS should have done, but was sometimes lax about) it is still possible that the record could be corrected even if you do not have proof. SSA keeps what I believe is called a missing earnings file. (Details of some of the terminology from my former employment didn’t always survive my retirement.) This consists of any wages that were reported to the IRS but could not be assigned to anyone’s earnings record; usually this was because the name and SSN on the wage report didn’t match. If sufficient identifying information can be provided, it is possible to locate your unposted wages and have them posted to your record. The first step is to collect whatever information you have about the missing wages; employer’s name and (if known) IRS ID number, amount of wages (this could be on an annual or quarterly basis, depending on the year in question), and your name and SSN. Call the SSA toll-free info service 800-772-1213 and work your way through the phone tree until you get a real person who can take that information and pass it on to the relevant office. Be warned that this could take a while - this generally is not considered a high-priority item unless it affects your eligibility for benefits. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/4 "2008-08-21T02:06:55Z")
Did you get your Social Security earnings report? They’re supposed to send it out once a year, and it will indicate whether those years were credited. You can probably contact them and ask for a copy. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/5 "2008-08-21T02:31:22Z")
You might also want to check this out, which I found after my last post: [How To Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record](http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10081.html) ---
**Author:** ![Patster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@Patster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/6 "2008-08-21T15:03:03Z")
I recently applied for benefits and I had never noticed on the statements I received from social security that there was 0 earnings listed in the year 1978. I did not realize that even though this was 30 years ago it is included in benefits calculations. I have memory loss for that long ago, but I believe I worked for a company that went out of business. I have not kept records that far back (even though I am a pack rat with such things…I tossed any older records out a few years ago :smack: just when I thought I would never need this info) I am not sure what impact this all has in calculating benefits, I am assuming very little because the wages back then were so much lower. Not sure if going through the process of having it researched is worth the time it may take. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/7 "2008-08-21T15:21:23Z")
Do you have, or could you get copies of, your old tax returns and supporting documentation? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/8 "2008-08-21T17:21:14Z")
I think benifits are calculated on your last ten years of employment. I suppose I should quit thinking and just look them up. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/460718/9 "2008-08-21T21:19:57Z")
Social Security benefits are based on your highest thirty-five earnings years, after the earnings for each year are indexed (multiplied by a factor to take into account the increase in average wages. It is possible that your missing 1978 wages could affect your monthly benefits. If you were working for the same employer in 1978 that you were in 1977 or 1979, then SSA should be able to identify your employer by checking the records for those years.