Disability Law Blog

Symbols on an Earnings Record

From JOA on the Connect board:

SYMBOLS ON AN EARNINGS RECORD

C --- Covered wage quarter
N --- No covered quarter
G --- Gift (prior earnings in other quarter)
S --- Self-employment quarter of coverage
# --- Questionable QC. May indicate that postings may be less than $50. Must not be used to compute insured status unless development is undertaken and proof obtained to show the earnings were of a sufficient amount for crediting a QC.
R --- Railroad employment
M --- Military service
A --- Agricultural quarter of coverage
* --- QC for which an S, A, M, or G code may be appropriately substituted.
L --- Lag Period (time between filing of tax returns and when Social Security is credited with the earnings – time varies, but as long as one and one-half years).
J --- QC based on deemed wages for interned Americans of Japanese ancestry
D --- QC based on deemed military wages that guarantee a QC for a quarter
$ --- May appear in the QC pattern to denote a good QC
MQFE --- May appear as a separate section denoting QC’s for Medicare Qualified Federal Employment (i.e.-reflects insured status for medicare coverage purposes only.

BICS from JOA

From a JOA post on the Connect board--a listing of Beneficiary Identification Codes and a short history of Senator Prouty:

"What you're asking about is the "beneficiary identification code." I've given a link to a list in the public POMs. Below I've also pasted a somewhat longer list of BICs, taken from something published in the San Francisco region.

The BIC isn't always a single digit. BICs for disability benefits always begin with H. So the wage earner's BIC for RIB is A, while for DIB it's HA."

BIC Code Description

A Primary claimant
B Aged wife, age 62 or over (1st claimant)
B1 Aged husband, age 62 or over (1st claimant)
B2 Young wife, with a child in her care (1st claimant)
B3 Aged wife (2nd claimant)
B4 Aged husband (2nd claimant)
B5 Young wife (2nd claimant)
B6 Divorced wife, age 62 or over (1st claimant)
B7 Young wife (3rd claimant)
B8 Aged wife (3rd claimant)
B9 Divorced wife (2nd claimant)
BA Aged wife (4th claimant)
BD Aged wife (5th claimant)
BG Aged husband (3rd claimant)
BH Aged husband (4th claimant)
BJ Aged husband (5th claimant)
BK Young wife (4th claimant)
BL Young wife (5th claimant)
BN Divorced wife (3rd claimant)
BP Divorced wife (4th claimant)
BQ Divorced wife (5th claimant)
BR Divorced husband, age 62 or older (1st claimant)
BT Divorced husband (2nd claimant)
BW Young husband (2nd claimant)

BY Young husband, with a child in his care (1st claimant)
C1 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C2 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C3 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C4 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C5 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C6 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C7 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C8 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
C9 Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CA Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CA Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CB Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CC Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CD Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CE Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CF Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CG Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CH Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CI Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CJ Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
CK Child (includes minor, student or disabled child)
D Aged widow, age 60 or over (1st claimant)
D1 Aged widower, age 60 or over (1st claimant)
D2 Aged widow (2nd claimant)
D3 Aged widower (2nd claimant)
D4 Widow (remarried age 60)(1st claimant)
D5 Widower (remarried age 60) (1st claimant)
D6 Surviving divorced wife, age 60 or over (1st claimant)
D7 Surviving divorced wife (2nd claimant)
D8 Aged widow (3rd claimant)
D9 Remarried widow (2nd claimant)
DA Remarried widow (3rd claimant)
DC Surviving divorced husband, age 60 or over (1st claimant)
DD Aged widow (4th claimant)
DG Aged widow (5th claimant)
DH Aged widower (3rd claimant)
DJ Aged widower (4th claimant)
DK Aged widower (5th claimant)
DL Remarried widow (4th claimant)
DM Surviving divorced husband (2nd claimant)
DN Remarried widow (5th claimant)
DP Remarried widower (2nd claimant)
DQ Remarried widower (3rd claimant)
DR Remarried widower (4th claimant)
DS Surviving divorced husband (3rd claimant)
DT Remarried widower (5th claimant)
DV Surviving divorced wife (3rd claimant)
DW Surviving divorced wife (4th claimant) DX Surviving divorced husband (4th claimant)
DY Surviving divorced wife (5th claimant) DZ Surviving divorced husband (5th claimant)
E Mother (widow) (1st claimant)
E1 Surviving divorced mother (1st claimant)
E2 Mother (widow) (2nd claimant)
E3 Surviving divorced mother (2nd claimant)
E4 Father (widower) (1st claimant)
E5 Surviving divorced father (widower) (1st claimant)
E6 Father (widower) (2nd claimant)
E7 Mother (widow) (3rd claimant)
E8 Mother (widow) (4th claimant) E9 Surviving divorced father (widower) (1st claimant)
EA Mother (widow) (5th claimant)
EB Surviving divorced mother (3rd claimant)
EC Surviving divorced mother (4th claimant)
ED Surviving divorced mother (5th claimant)
EF Father (widower) (3rd claimant)
EG Father (widower) (4th claimant)
EH Father (widower) (5th claimant)
EJ Surviving divorced father (3rd claimant)
EK Surviving divorced father (4th claimant)
EM Surviving divorced father (5th claimant)
F1 Parent (father)
F2 Parent (mother)
F3 Parent
F4 Parent
F5 Parent (adopting Father)
F6 Parent (adopting Mother)
F7 Parent (2nd alleged Father)
F8 Parent (2nd alleged Mother)
J1 Primary Prouty entitled to HIB - less than 3 QCs - Gen Fund
J2 Primary Prouty entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs.) RSI Fund
J3 Primary Prouty not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs)
J4 Primary Prouty not entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs)
K1 Prouty wife entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (1st claimant)
K2 Prouty wife entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (1st claimant)
K3 Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs)(General Fund) (1st claimant)
K4 Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (1st claimant)
K5 Prouty wife entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (2nd claimant)
K6 Prouty wife entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (2nd claimant)
K7 Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (2nd claimant)
K8 Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCS) (General Fund) (3rd claimant)
KA Prouty wife entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (3rd claimant)
KB Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs)(General Fund) (3rd claimant)
KC Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (3rd claimant)
KD Prouty wife entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (4th claimant)
KE Prouty wife entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (4th claimant)
KF Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (4th claimant)
KG Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (4th claimant)
KH Prouty wife entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (5th claimant)
KJ Prouty wife entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (5th claimant)
KL Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (less than 3 QCs) (General Fund) (5th claimant)
KM Prouty wife not entitled to HIB (over 2 QCs) (RSI Trust Fund) (5th claimant)
M Uninsured beneficiary (not qualified for automatic HIB)
M1 Uninsured beneficiary (qualified HIB but requests only SMIB)
T Fully insured who have elected entitlement only to HIB
T Uninsured beneficiary or renal disease beneficiary only
T Deemed insured (hospital insurance only)
TA Medicare Qualified Government Employment (MQGE)
TB MQGE aged spouse (1st claimant)
TC MQGE childhood disability benefits (CDB) (1st claimant)
TD MQGE aged widow(er) (1st claimant)
TE MQGE young widow(er) (1st claimant)
TF MQGE parent (male)
TG MQGE aged spouse (2nd claimant)
TH MQGE aged spouse (3rd claimant)
TJ MQGE aged spouse (4th claimant)
TK MQGE aged spouse (5th claimant)
TL MQGE aged widow(er) (2nd claimant)
M MQGE aged widow(er) (3rd claimant)
N MQGE aged widow(er) (4th claimant)
TP MQGE aged widow(er) (5th claimant)
TQ MQGE parent (female)
TR MQGE young widow(er) (2nd claimant)
TS MQGE young widow(er) (3rd claimant)
TT MQGE young widow(er) (4th claimant)
TU MQGE young widow(er) (5th claimant)
TV MQGE disabled widow(er) (1st claimant)
TW MQGE disabled widow(er) (1st claimant)
TX MQGE disabled widow(er) (2nd claimant)
TY MQGE disabled widow(er) (3rd claimant)
TZ MQGE disabled widow(er) (4th claimant)
T2 MQGE (CDB)
W Disabled widow, age 50 or over (1st claimant)
W1 Disabled widower, age 50 or over (1st claimant)
W2 Disabled widow (2nd claimant)
W3 Disabled widower (2nd claimant)
W4 Disabled widow (3rd claimant)
W5 Disabled widower (3rd claimant)
W6 Disabled surviving divorced wife (1st claimant)
W7 Disabled surviving divorced wife (2nd claimant)
W8 Disabled surviving divorced wife (3rd claimant)
W9 Disabled widow (4th claimant)
WB Disabled widower (4th claimant)
WC Disabled surviving divorced wife (4th claimant)
WF Disabled widow (5th claimant)
WG Disabled widower (5th claimant)
WJ Disabled surviving divorced wife (5th claimant)
WR Disabled surviving divorced husband (1st claimant)
WT Disabled surviving divorced husband (2nd claimant)
T3 MQGE (CDB)
T4 MQGE (CDB)
T5 MQGE (CDB)
T6 MQGE (CDB)
T7 MQGE (CDB)
T8 MQGE (CDB)
T9 MQGE (CDB)

DI 21005.050, list of BICs

... and More BICS

A little more arcana to flesh out the previous post, this having to do with DIB and DIB Auxiliary Paid Out of the Disability Insurance Trust Fund. JOA goes on to say:

POMS is a great, sprawling system. I’ve never been part of the process that generates it. But over the years that I’ve used it, it’s become plain that the different sections have different authoring components within the agency. I understand that the various sections of POMS get circulated for comments. It’s still easy to see that because the different components have different authors, the various parts don’t always fit together seamlessly. Everyone sings the same song. Or mostly so. But it’s common to find that different sections give only parts of the melody or are in different keys. (And some are out of tune.)

What I mean is that when you search the POMS it’s very likely that the first answer you find isn’t the whole answer. When I used “beneficiary indentification code” for keywords, I got 73 hits. . . I’ve gone back to the same list of 73 hits for a new link about how “H” distinguishes a BIC as either a disabled wage earner (HA) or various auxiliary benefits (HB2 and many potential others) paid through him/her. Hit the “previous document” button for a companion section about OASI. . . .

For others who aren’t fully fluent in SSA/OHA jargon I guess we should give this list:

OAO: Office of Appellate Operations
CCPRB: Court Case Preparation Branch
CALJ: Chief Administrative Law Judge
OPPE: Office of Program Policy Evaluation

(NOSSCR also has a list of acronyms that are frequently found in various SSA publications.)

Beneficiary ID Codes (BICS)

From JOA on the Connect board, here's a list of codes that identify different kinds of beneficiaries in the Social Security program. Another tool to aid in the task of deciphering SSA documents. Enjoy.