Department of Human Services: Chapter7

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FS	LAG QUARTERS When the applicant or other individual does not agree with the QC pattern provided by the query and the problem is missing quarters in the current year, do the following. For current year earnings, accept a current employer-prepared wage statement as proof of earnings and credit a quarter for each increment as outlined in the Credit of Qualified Quarters chart in Section 7.9.6: Making the Determination in this Chapter. The SSR should assume the earnings are covered employment if the wage statement shows FICA withholding. QQ information for a particular calendar year will not show up on the automated system until September of the following year. For example, information about 1998 earnings was not available on the automated system until September 1999. For quarters in the prior calendar/taxable year which do not show up on the SSA automated system because the information is requested prior to September of the following year, accept forms such as W-2 and/or W-2 C, employer-prepared wage statements, or an IRS copy of the individuals' tax return. Credit QQ as outlined in the Credit of Qualified Quarters chart in Section 7.9.6: Making the Determination in this Chapter. Assume the earnings are covered if the proof submitted indicates FICA taxes were withheld. If the request is made on or after September 1 for the prior calendar year and the information does not match the applicant's claim that s/he worked during the year, do not treat the discrepancy as a lag quarter issue. See Non-Lag Quarters below. NON-LAG QUARTERS Whenever the applicant or any other individual does not agree with the QC patterns provided by the query, it will be necessary to reconcile the discrepancy. When the individual believes that the work s/he performed was in covered employment or Medicare-only federal, state, or local wage, and the earnings do not fall within the lag period, SSA is responsible for investigating the discrepancy and correcting the record. Refer all covered employment or Medicare-only federal, state, or local wage cases to SSA as follows. If the individual indicates that s/he used more than one SSN or allowed others to use his/her SSN, then the individual will need to contact his/her local SSA office to resolve the issue or call 1-800-772-1213 to setup an appointment. The individual should take a copy of the QC pattern, identifying information, and any proof of earnings that s/he may have to the SSA office with him/her. If the SSR needs to develop a Z indicator for 1977 or earlier or a # sign indicator from the QC pattern, then refer the case to SSA Office of Central Records Operations for Investigation. Send a written request containing the following information. Name SSN Date of birth Year(s) in question Return address Copy of the output from the query A separate request is needed for each SSN to be investigated. The SSR must mail the request along with the copy of the output from the query to: SSA, OCRO POB 17750 Baltimore, MD 21235-0001 If you need to follow-up on the status of your request, then the SSR should request another QQ History query 45 days after the original request. If the entry has been updated, the # or Z will be overlaid with N or C. If the QQ pattern has not been updated after 60 days, call 1-800-775-7802 (SSA-OCRO, Earning Discrepancy). If the individual indicates that there are missing quarters or the code Z is 1978 or later, then have the applicant, if s/he is the number holder of the SSN, complete an SSA-7008 Request for Correction of Earnings. Proof of earnings such as W-2s, pay stubs, tax return, or statement from the employer should be provided. On top of the SSA-7008, the SSR should write 'Welfare Reform.' If the applicant is not the number holder, tell the applicant that the number holder must complete the SSA-7008 and provide proof of earnings as shown above. All SSA-7008s along with the documentation should be mailed to: SSA, OCRO POB 17752 Baltimore, MD 21235-0001 If the applicant has no documentation, s/he should contact the local SSA office or call 1-800-775-7802 to arrange for an appointment.