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Each person on the number holder’s (NH’s) record must be a United States citizen or
lawfully present alien in order to be paid benefits while in the U.S. and if the filing
date is on or after 12/1/96. A person’s U.S. citizenship or alien status does not
affect payment of benefits to another person entitled on the same record.
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A suspension of a worker’s monthly title II and title XVIII benefits to the NH under
this provision does not cause a suspension of auxiliary benefits. Thus, in applying
the maximum family benefit provisions, a benefit subject to suspension under the U.S.
citizenship/lawful presence requirement is considered the same as if it were payable.
See the examples below:
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The benefits of a person in the U.S. who is not a U.S. citizen or lawfully present
alien count toward the family maximum on a wage earner's record even though payment
to that person is suspended. Thus, if an auxiliary's benefits are suspended for failure
to be lawfully present in the U.S., we do not readjust the benefit rates of other
auxiliaries on the record (see GN 02603.040B for exceptions to the deduction-before-reduction provision).
EXAMPLE 1: NH Suspended, Auxiliary Can Remain in Pay
R., an alien, is married to P., who is also an alien. They lawfully enter the U.S.
on January 15, 1997. R. is admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant whose visa expires
in August 1997. P. is lawfully admitted for an indefinite period. We begin paying
R. retirement benefits on their own earnings record in April 1997, based on an application
filed in March 1997. R.'s spouse is entitled to monthly benefits on R.'s Social Security
record and we also begin paying P. benefits effective with April 1997. R.'s lawful
presence ends effective with August 1997, i.e., the month their visa expires. We stop
their benefits effective with August 1997 because they are no longer lawfully present
in the U.S. P. continues to receive benefits on their spouse's earnings record, even
though R's benefits have been suspended. We may begin paying R. benefits again if
their alien status changes or they leave the U.S. subject to the alien non-payment
provisions in RS 02610.000. (See RS 00204.025A for rules that apply when a person’s lawful presence status changes.)
EXAMPLE 2: Family Maximum Case, One Auxiliary Suspended
The NH, Q., and their spouse, M., and 4 minor children entered the United States on
1/13/96 as parolees under section 212(d)(5) of the INA. As such, Q., M. and the 4
children are lawfully present in the U.S. Q. became disabled on 1/24/2001 and filed
for title II benefits for themselves, their spouse M., and the four children on 2/17/2001.
Q., M., and Q.’s 4 children became entitled to disability and auxiliary benefits beginning
7/2001 as follows:
The Family Maximum is $500.00.
The NH’s PIA is $300.00.
$500.00 minus $300.00 equals an “aux max” of $200.00, to be divided between M. and
the four children. Each auxiliary gets $40.00 per month. The total disbursed to the
family is $500.00.
M.’s parole expired on 10/15/2001. Therefore, they are not lawfully present beginning
10/15/2001. Their benefit of $40.00/month is suspended beginning 10/2001. However,
benefits to the four children remain at $40.00/month for each child, since M. is still
entitled on the record, and M.'s suspension does not permit redistribution of the
auxiliary maximum. Thus, beginning 10/2001, the total to the family is reduced to
$460.00: the $300.00 to the NH for the PIA, plus 4 times the auxiliary benefit of
$40.00 each (computed for 5 auxiliaries), which equals $160.00. $300.00 plus $160.00
equals $460.00.