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SSA Handbook Title Page

Chapter 7: Figuring the Cash Benefit Rate

Table of Contents

700.	Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) as Basic Figure
701.	How are the Average Monthly Earnings (AME) or the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) computed?
702.	When is the usual computation formula used?
703.	Computation Years Defined
704.	Elapsed Years Defined
705.	What are base years?
706.	Determining the PIA
707.	The Simplified Old-Start Formula
708.	When can the simplified old-start formula be used?
709.	Figuring the AME Under the Simplified Old-Start Formula
710.	How is the Primary Insurance Benefit (PIB) computed under the simplified old-start formula?
711.	Are established periods of disability excluded when benefits are computed?
712.	Figuring the PIA Under the 1990 Consolidated Methods
713.	What is included as "total earnings" when computing the AME or AIME?
714.	What are the maximum earnings that can be counted for any calendar year for computing AME or AIME?
715.	Allocation of Self-Employment Income
716.	Elimination of the Minimum Benefit
717.	Special Minimum PIA
718.	Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) - Modified Benefit Formula to Determine the PIA for Workers with Pensions from Non-covered Employment
719.	Cost-of-Living Increases
720.	Delayed Retirement Credit
721.	Recomputation of the PIA
722.	The Automatic Recomputation
723.	Reduction of Benefit Rate
724.	Basic Reduction Formulas
725.	How does SSA compute the number of reduction months?
726.	Disability Insurance Benefit Reduced for Age
727.	How is the reduction amount computed?
728.	Adjustment of Reduction Factor at FRA
729.	Certificate of Election for Husband or Wife Between Ages 62 and FRA-Child "In Care"
730.	Maximum Monthly Benefits Payable on One Earnings Record
731.	Adjustment of Individual Benefit Rates Because of Family Maximum
732.	How Adjustment for Family Maximum is Figured
733.	Entitlement to More Than One Social Security Benefit at the Same Time
734.	Entitlement to Retirement or Disability Insurance Benefits and Another Benefit
735.	What happens if a child is entitled to benefits on more than one earnings record at the same time?
736.	When is a child automatically entitled on a second earnings record?
737.	Family Maximum When Child is Entitled on More Than One Earnings Record
738.	Rounding of Benefit Rates
739.	How to compute your benefits.


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