wfn.org | Ministers Given Opportunity to Opt into Social Security

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

11-February-2000 
00071 
 
    Ministers Given Opportunity to Opt into Social Security 
 
    Congress opens two-year window for those who previously opted out 
 
    by David Rich 
    Board of Pensions director of communications 
    and Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
PHILADELPHIA-At the urging of several denominations - including the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - the U.S. Congress has opened a two-year 
window for ministers who have previously opted out of Social Security 
participation to get back in. 
 
    An application to opt back in may be filed immediately but must be 
filed no later than April 15, 2002.  Ministers must have 40 quarters of 
Social Security participation to be eligible for Social Security benefits. 
 
    Those participating in Social Security pay 15.3 percent of their wages 
into the program. 
 
    Because the retirement benefits of the Board of Pensions are predicated 
on Social Security participation, the PC(USA) General Assembly has 
repeatedly urged ministers to participate in Social Security. 
 
    The only legal basis for an ordained minister to be exempt from 
participating in Social Security is that, because of conscience or 
religious principles, he or she opposes accepting benefits of any public 
insurance that pays at death, disability, or old age. 
 
    Overall retirement, medical, death, disability benefits are affected by 
ministers' participation in or absence from Social Security.  If ministers 
do not participate in Social Security, they: 
 
    * are not entitled to monthly Social Security retirement income 
 
    * are not eligible for automatic Medicare coverage (automatic 
hospitalization coverage at no cost and outpatient and physician coverage 
at government-subsidized premiums are available to Social Security 
participants) 
 
    * are not eligible for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or 
Medicare's disability coverage. 
 
    Information about the newly-opened window is available by calling the 
Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-3676 or visiting it's Web site at 
<www.irs.gov>.  Information is also available from the Social Security 
Administration at 1-800-772-1213. 

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