Editor’s note: This bill was reintroduced in January 2023. Read more here.
In the decades since the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) went into effect, lawmakers in Washington, DC have repeatedly introduced legislation to modify or repeal the two provisions.
The WEP and GPO, which are part of federal law, can reduce Social Security benefits for recipients of public pensions like Colorado PERA. It’s important to note that a person’s PERA benefit is never reduced due to Social Security or other benefits.
Read more on copera.org: PERA and Social Security
Despite bipartisan support and even President Joe Biden expressing his support for WEP repeal, lawmakers have not made any changes to either provision since their inception. Legislators often cite the cost of administering additional Social Security benefits as a barrier to changing the law.
Nonetheless, there are currently several bills before Congress that would either change how the WEP and/or GPO affect Social Security, or eliminate them entirely.
H.R. 82 and S. 1302: Social Security Fairness Act
H.R. 82, titled the “Social Security Fairness Act,” was introduced in the House of Representatives in January 2021. It aims to eliminate both the WEP and GPO. Since the bill was introduced last year, lawmakers have referred it to the Subcommittee on Social Security, but Congress hasn’t taken any further action.
In February, the bill’s lead sponsors, Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7) and Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) wrote a letter to House leadership urging a floor vote on the bill, arguing that it has more bipartisan support than most of the other 7,700+ bills introduced in the current session.
That bill has more than 250 cosponsors, including representatives Jason Crow (D-CO-6), Diana DeGette (D-CO-1), Joe Neguse (D-CO-2) and Ed Perlmutter (D-CO-7) of Colorado.
A bill with the same title was introduced in the U.S. Senate, with senators Michael Bennet (D) and John Hickenlooper (D) as cosponsors. That bill, S. 1302, was referred to the Committee on Finance in April 2021, and Congress hasn’t taken any further action on the bill.
H.R. 2337: Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2021
While the two bills above aim to eliminate the WEP and GPO, H.R. 2337, the “Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2021,” seeks to instead modify the WEP with an alternate formula for calculating a person’s Social Security benefit. Advocates have sometimes argued that changing the law to reduce its impact on retirees is a more politically realistic goal than full repeal.
Representatives Crow, DeGette, Neguse and Perlmutter are also cosponsors of this bill, which was introduced in the House in April 2021. Like the above bills, Congress has not taken any action to move the bill further along in the legislative process.
Having your voice heard
Colorado PERA, along with other public pension plans across the country, retiree organizations and other groups continually meet with members of Congress to educate them on this issue of great importance to retired public employees.
In addition to those efforts, one of the most effective forms of advocacy is for PERA members and retirees to contact their senators and representatives in Congress to let them know how the WEP and GPO affect them.
For updates on these bills and other important pieces of legislation affecting Colorado’s public employees, subscribe to the biweekly PERA On The Issues newsletter.
More PERA On The Issues coverage of this issue:
Windfall elimination provisionA provision of federal law that may reduce Social Security benefit payments to retirees who receive a pension based on work during which they did not contribute to Social Security. The WEP does not apply to those with 30 or more years of substantial earnings in Social Security.Government pension offsetA provision of federal law that reduces Social Security dependent benefit payments to spouses, widows, and widowers who receive a government pension like PERA.
Thank you for the update that is quite helpful and it would mean a great deal to me if I could get my entire Social Security retirement
Please continue the fight I paid into both I should get both
Would make incredible difference for social security because my wife only gets $233 per month from social security. I am 73 and my wife is 70. Thank you so much for helping us.
They are sitting on this legislation, it is not their money. We did not ask for taxes to be taken out of our check for social security, and they have the audacity to say we are double dipping! How many of these congressMan and women have two or three retirements and get their pockets lined. We are just asking for our money that taken out if our checks, that we are dew. It is sad that widows have to wait Til they turn 60 to get their widows benefits, not only that but if you went to work in a school setting that did not put in to social security you are penalized. How sad this is!
WEP was never been checked to see the impact on this law has on all government employees. This mess was made in 1984 and these politicians won’t correct their mistakes. All we can do is vote them all out of office.
Thank you Eugene. In regard to those who left responses:
Now everyone, no matter where you reside, needs to respectfully contact your representatives by mail, email or phone to express what is wanted. Specifically reference the bill, reiterate what vote you’d like and close respectfully.
Include your street address, city & zip code to confirm that you are in their district. Perhaps you have friends and relatives who could do the same. You might even write a form letter that they can sign & mail.
Complaining about it on this website isn’t going to get that bill passed. We have to address this with our representatives every time it comes up.
All my best to y’all!
Reply I got a noticed some one made a mistake when I retired and I got a letter stating there should have been an off set. I work 50 years in private and 1 years in gov. I went to social security they stated I had no offset. Now 6 years later they ask for a survey what was my offset and not offset and I wasn’t informed from dept if labor they ask about my social security. The only way I knew money was deducted from my check over five hundred dollars and I had to call Never got a letter letting me know.
After I inquire I was told in writing from dept if labor I would never know I would owe anything. But they stated I owe them 51,000 dollars and I have to pay it back! Who made this big mistake when I just went to social security told them I work for private and federal where would I get my social security check from. They supposedly said private now 6 or 7 years they say I owe. I am 75 years old this is a very stressful situation for me plus my husband has dementia
Why do a person have to pay for some errors people made years ago.
There should be no offset as much we paid into social security I work hard for that money I earned it not the government plus they got it back in taxes when we file!
Please congress passed this bill I have a hearing coming up now saying I have to pay and know no fault of mine !
Help me before I have an hearing on April 7 2022.
Have Maryland representative read this and get it congress
People retired do not need to stress and surprising letters from department of labor especially we dealing with our sickness and problems in our physical bodies!
Thank you!
Cost of living is so high in Maryland we need all the money to survive not take it from the elderly and sick.
Again start supporting the elderly and reduce taxes and offset we work hard through the years we paid our way. Like school taxes why are we paying we have no kids in school at age 75.
Certain ages we should be exempt from paying i income is not much left here in Maryland after you pay rent. Food and transportation or pay a car note,
You don’t have much left to work with.
Let do better for our seniors and cost them lest stress and worries.
Thank you for trying to change this because ofmy government pension when my husband passed away I was not entitled to any of his social security.
I would like to know how long have thay been takeing the money from everybody becuse i think some people was get,n both full checks and thay made a change to the law and is takeing the money back and if so thats fraud thay miss used our money and we need it back
If Social Security was going to reduce your Benefits by 50% why did workers pay 100% into the Social Security to get their benefits cut in half.
Agree!
I, too am affected by the WEP at this point. I have waited to apply for SS. I recently applied at age 69. I worked and paid into SS from 1969 until 1985. I then moved to Texas and taught in a public school that did not pay into SS. I worked there for 22 years. (A couple of years I paid into SS as a sub-contractor at a part time job.) After retiring I work about 5 years paying into the SS as well. I have about 27 years of paying into the system. I do not think I should get the maximum SS, I don’t deserve the years that I did not pay into the system. But I do deserve benefits for the years I did pay into the system. That is why SS says what I should get before they take into consideration of the WEP. My benefit is reduced by just over 50%. After they take out my Medicare I will get less than $500 a month. It is sad and upsetting to know that my money is being stolen by my federal government. It is money that my employers and I set aside to help fund my retirement. IT IS MY MONEY!
I was forced into a early retirement, when DOD was downsizing,lost 14% of my retirement check. Work another 20yrs paying into SS. Now they take half of that. Please pass this bill. I’m in my so called golden years, broke ever month.
Only need 16 more Reps to get the thing to a roll call vote. Maybe the May 18 Rally will get them off their fat asses.
When will the Social Security Fairness Act H.R. 82 be repealed? It is stopping me as a retiree, along with others from collecting social security when we are entitled to do so. When I turned 65 and 4 months, I was entitled to collect benefits from my husband’s record. However, when I retired from the Federal Government, social security informed me that I was no longer entitled to collect benefits which is not true because my spouse passed away in 1987 and had paid his 40 quarters plus my retirement was based on the benefits that I was collecting from social security. However, after I was no longer getting benefits, that created a big hardship in my life. I am asking you to please have Congress to take urgent action on this and get this bill signed into law by the president. Looking to hear from you and please do not write about other topics, only this one that I am concerned about,
Hope springs eternal.
I believe this! WEF Not fair to people working hard, earned the 40 credits working hard, a lot of sacrifices throughout years thinking it will pay off also working for local city hall. Why can’t I have all that I worked for my self? Eliminate WEF!!!
And the magic word for this failure is but one: CONGRESS!
I’ll be SHOCKED if they change anything but great that someone is making the effort ! I had 11 part-time Social Security jobs ( going back to high school , college jobs, etc etc 2/3 cut !
Lip service with no real intent . They can pass any bill they want- right Nancy? There is bipartisan support and they let these bills die again? Frauds!
Me too. Awfully unfair that we don’t even receive the minimum Social Security amount.
Amen. I also started working part time when I was 16, while I was a stay at home mom, and while I taught for 10 years. If you added up my total income earned in my working in the p ublic sector that I did pay SS it would meet the requirement to receive full SS benefits on
I want to know why I can’t get full SS as I worked, and paid into SS for 23 years. I then worked 22 years at USPS. GPO and WEP meant I would be penalized and I am not able to have any from my deceased husband. This is a double negative for me! I pray that before I die I will see the GPO and WEP be repealed.
I paid into civil service for only nine years on the one job and 20 years I paid into Social Security and that same job and I still was not able to draw on my husband’s Social Security when he passed away his Social Security was almost double what mine was
I spent more years employed in a job that contributed to Social Security than I did as a intro it or to PERA, but my SS was reduced because of my PERA pension. I would really like this to get repealed so I could receive my full SS benefits.
Me, too. Worked 24 years under social security and SS is cut because I worked for the state of Colorado another 18, with SS cut drastically. It’s money I put in and earned. Rightfully it is my money. I lose my spouse’s SS when he passes. How fair is that! I thought I would have enough to live on. Colorado needs to support the workers, especially older workers who worked to make Colorado a welcome place to live and work. Sad that they take care of others first. I pray something is finally done. Promises not kept. Please repeal unfair WEP/GPO this year!!!
Same for me 40 years giving to social security 9 to the fire fighters and police pension. They are taking most of the social security based off the 9 years. This is horrible.
My SS benefit is cut by 75% due to the WEP! The Federal Government is literally stealing my money that I contributed to SS! Please eliminate this unfair law!
At present WEB cannot take more than 50% regardless of your pension income(s). I would contact SS and make them recalcilate
I have to agree with the people’s comments that we earned that money and therefore should be able to get the benefits in our later years. To completely put this on the shelf and ignore it is unthinkable. Our representatives should be working for us, not against us. Give this the attention it deserves.
I paid into the social security system and should be entitled to the full benefit. Please get the WEP repealed!
Once again our federal government seems unable to fairly address this issue on behalf of tax paying American Citizens. Please restore this earned benefit in it’s entirety.
I worked in the private sector from the age of 15 until 33 and continued working part-time jobs while a PERA employee. I have also been working for the last 12 years in the private sector since leaving PERA employment. The small amount of my SS that I get after paying in for years is ridiculous! Maybe I wouldn’t have to work to supplement my PERA & SS if I got what’s truly mine. Everyone needs to keep pushing for the change.
Domestic and foreign welfare programs gather steam while the American working class waits.
I agree with you 100%. Our government now worry more on illegals coming in welcoming and supporting them, giving them housing and monetary (SSI) allowance. While us who have worked our entire life in this country earned every cents we put in the Social Security, deserving of getting back what we put in the system get screwed big time.
I doubt it very much if the WEP will ever be repealed. It’s all talk by our politicians but short of action. It’s a shame.
For those of you interested in repealing GPO/WEP, a good source of information and updates is the “Repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) & GPO” Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1315898065249754
It is updated daily and provides current progress reports as well as ways for us to get actively involved in the repeal process. Congress already has enough cosponsors to pass it through that chamber, but they are likely waiting for more cosponsors in Senate before bringing the vote to the floor. A big thank you to our Colorado delegation of Senators and Congressional representatives. Both Senator Hickenlooper and Bennett have signed on as cosponsors and a slight majority of our congresspeople have also signed on.
Thanks for the information. I’ll checkout the site. We ALL really need be proactive against this unfair scheme against our retirement wellbeing.
Thank you for the info
Yes what can we do as teachers to get this to move forward and get passed? Please let me know anything I can do to help. I need that money I’m single I put two kids through college I paid into the system… That money is mine!
Ditto!!!
Thank you for that information!
Gee wouldn’t it be nice if I could receive my deceased husband’s (married for 30 years) Social Security and some of mine too! I taught school in Colorado for 26 years and have been substitute teaching for 12 years… I am 73 years old!!! I pay into PERA as a sub but my PERA is not increased. And I don’t get my Social Security either for the jobs I worked at starting at age 16, all thru college, during summers while teaching and after I retired!!!!! This is robbery!
If I paid my 40 quarters, in the private sector, and worked in a Government job later and earned my PERA I should not be penalised.
Repel this stupid rule and pay people what they earned. Quite being so stingy with my money.
Repeal GPO/WPO! My husband’s social security is reduced so much it is ridiculous! And every cost of living increase gets ate up by the premium increase in Medicare part A!
Both major political parties have no interest in reforming or eliminating WEP and/or GPO. Every year legislation is initiated for the purpose of political posturing, nothing more.
Amen
Ken you are 100% correct. I think the bill had unanimous support in 2008 and was never brought to committee. Posturing not pro active politics !
PERA needs to be FIGHTING, tooth & nail, 24/7, for the repeal of the absurdly unfair WEP. For decades all I’ve seen from PERA is occasional reporting, and ZERO actual efforts to make this happen. It’s well past time for PERA to step up and rattle some doors about this, rather to say over and again that it’s a federal thing over which PERA has no sway.
Pera does not fight anyone anywhere to help it’s retirees. Quite the contrary, it has supported policies to hurt the retirees!
I agree with many of the comments listed on this page!
I worked privately and earned my 40 quarters for SS. I also worked for 25 years as an educator. When I retired (11 years ago) and went to get my SS (2 years ago), I only received 60% in SS benefits of what I was entitled to because I have a pension from DPS (of which I also paid into!). This is WRONG! Why is it that other workers who have had multiple careers (military, post office, etc.) get their FULL SS and we do NOT. WHY do these laws only affect 13 states (Colorado being one of them)? If nothing is happening in Congress, WHY is that? Totally disgusted with what is happening!
I worked for postal service 39 years under the civil service retirement system. WEP and Gpo does affect us, I get 0 of mine or my late husbands SS.
Military personnel pay into SS as well as taking substandard pay for their service. I did a career in the military, also earned a retirement while working for PERA. I have paid into SS for well over 30 years at what they call a substantial amount. I don’t forsee a reduced SS payment because of meeting the SS requirement of 30 years of contributions according to the WEP guidelines.
You are misinformed about two items. I worked for the Postal Service for 35 years . . I did not put into Social Security from that job and I don’t expect anything in return . I have worked in the private sector for 51 years working part time jobs and full time jobs for 15 years of that time of which Social Security was taken. Because of WEP, I am penalized 60% of my Social Security . Also I live in New York . These laws affect every state !!!
US govt is a corrupt joke. They had/have no problem taking out SS taxes at the full amount per the in-effect math formula. Yet, I don’t receive the same formula for SS payout as all other life long private sector retirees simply because I stopped paying into SS so that I can receive a pension. Funny how logical and fair that is.
This is our reward for being public servants. Do you think members of Congress would sit still for this policy if it affected their retirement benefit? The gall to call this a “windfall” – which implies we did not EARN the money. I’ve never met a member of Congress who was even borderline poor. I have to agree with Mr. Northrop: hope springs eternal.
From what I understand it did originally effect them from getting a large Social security pension plus other large pensions but they made themselves exempt and made it affective for all other public employees!!
I agree they have no problem in giving money to the immigrants when they come here to make sure they have a good living but we worked all our lives and then they cut our pay so we can’t They need to take care of the American people that have taken care of them they sure took care of themselves they work one term and set for life paid and get free benefits and everything else you’d better bet they wouldn’t lose no money if it came down they’d have that change in a heartbeat pers need to step up and rattle some doors
Yes, I worked to pay my way through college, world part-time jobs when I first began teaching and worked in the private sector after retirement. My SS is $300 a month, a humble benefit but as a single retired teacher it totals a single bill such as; it could pay half my mortgage payment, it’s a full car payment, it’s my total utility bills, it’s my internet and cell phone payment. I do need my SS benefit due to me!
This is finally a move in the right direction. Why doesn’t PERA send out one of those prefilled email forms that go to the representatives, like they do when it is legislation that has to do with how PERA can invest money? I think PERA should be doing more to help us get our voices heard!
True that, literally for decades PERA has sidestepped this important and impactful issue.
As a court stenographer, by statute I was allowed to charge for transcripts, therefore pay taxes, therefore contribute to SS for the 28 years i worked for the state. The money I would be due if I were paid a SS benefit for those years is, to me, substantial! I would consider it a fair exchange if SS would return to me a lump sum of what I paid in those 28 years, plus interest.
I agree with all the folks above. Its no “windfall profit” when one paid into the system for 20 +years in the private sector before working in the government sector.and to also be penalized if you marry someone in the private sector through the GPO. And the terminology of “ substantial earnings” is ridiculous as well as a meter of being eligible for more than 30% . Why wouldn’t someone who worked in the 70’s and 80’s ( when wages were much less as a whole) be as eligible as some one who worked and made higher figures in the 90’s etc..? The whole premise of the law is a slap in the face. Repeal it all!
Are they waiting for us to die so they won’t have to pay us ?! Seems so. One more decade should do it….
Between the WEP and the GPO, my deceased husband (married for 28 years) and my more than 40 quarters I have paid in to SS will be totally taken away. ZERO is the SS amount I will receive. This was told to me and calculated by a PERA Representative. It is time to call our representatives listed in this issue.
I applied for my SS at age 62, and was told it is -$23.00, yes, minus $23! So, I have to keep working, and keep paying into SS witch I will never get back. All due to WEP and GPO. And my PERA pension is less than Old Age Pension.
I appreciate the comments written by each of you, as I have been reading them for several years. I am also in agreement with each of you!! It is my hope that all of you are also communicating your thoughts to your Senators and Congressmen!!
My husband will receive half of my PERA benefit when I pass; however, I will receive none of his SS if he passes first. Not a good situation. Thank God for PERA. I hope Congress can pass this bill, but they are too busy building electric charging stations, I fear.
i worked 2 jobs 7 days a week for 27 years. school district in Boulder and had a handyman business. paid all my taxes and fees and now 435.00 dollars are stolen from me every month by social security. hell yes this needs to stop retired 5 years now and its still being taken out. lost a lot of money because of WEP or “weep” as i call it!
I agree with these comments, how unjust this is. If it is truly 13 states in which people are being penalized by WEP and GPO, then it may only become an issue in Congress if there is a threat of implementation of this same measure in the other 37 states. Then, perhaps some of the other senators and representatives would see the injustice of this and move this legislation out of committee and to a floor vote for passage. Until this happens, I fear this is an issue that no one wants to do anything about, unless you represent people in one of the 13 affected states. I hope I am wrong and something does get done to fix this.
Please explain the thinking of a federal program that only affects 13 of our states; I’ve never made sense of this. And why single out educators and few others? Either its federal and all-encompassing or it’s invalid as far as I can see.
If I move to one of the 37 states, can I then collect the SS due to me?
Your Social Security benefit is calculated based on your lifetime earnings and contributions to Social Security. For most PERA members, PERA serves as a substitute for Social Security and you therefore don’t contribute to SS while working for a PERA employer. Moving to another state won’t affect your benefit, as the Social Security Administration will still take into account the years you didn’t contribute to SS when calculating your benefit. We recommend contacting the Social Security Administration if you have any further questions about your benefit: https://www.ssa.gov/.
HUH??? Nobody here is asking to receive SS benefits for their years of PERA employment. We just want the Social Security benefit we earned during non-PERA employment, just like everyone else gets.
I never did understand why someone would be penalized if they worked another job besides a PERA covered one. It’s not like the PERA covered employment gets added into the earnings used to calculate Social Security benefits. Did someone in the legislature think educators were already being paid great sums upon retirement?
I have written to both Senators and my Representative and I encourage everyone affected by the WEP and/or the GPO to do the same.
Thanks to PERA for their continued support of this issue!
I have 27 years in Social Security and a second career as a teacher for 14 years.
I have been a taxpayer since the age of 18 and have spent my entire career in Public Service and never received Public Assistance of any kind.
The WEP and GPO have punished me for a lifetime of service by reducing my monthly Social Security payments as well as preventing me from receiving my Survivors benefit from my spouse.
This is a bad message for government to send to hard working people and creates a disincentive.
I am sure that it discourages talented people who have worked in the private sector from going into public sector employment.
But worse, it is unfair and punitive to people like me who have worked their entire lives.
Is it really all that hard to get this thing repealed in this day and age. We have seen the government act quicker on things a lot less important than our livelihood especially now with the war and inflation skyrocketing. Being retired is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that we were told it would be when we paid into social security. Please get this thing corrected. I’m not asking for anymore than I earned.
These are so punitive to teachers. I became a college professor at 50 and all my contributions into Social Security are apparently erradicated by WEP and GPO. What’s the incentive to go into teaching? I raised four kids by myself, put them all through college and my meager pension is practically zip every month. Had I known about WEP and GPO I would have thought twice about going into teaching–which I love btw. I find this so infuritating–parsing out funds that actually belong to us and being told these are entitlements. The funds are not.
Stop stealing GPO WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION FROM WIDOWS SURVIVORS . HUSBAND EARN MONEY. PAID US NOW . ✝️?
Stop stealing GPO WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION FROM WIDOWS SURVIVORS . HUSBAND EARN MONEY. PAID US NOW .
Please Congress repeal the WEP/GPO before I die.
THE WINDFALL TAX IS A SHAME, GET OFF YOUR REARENDS ANDEND THIS. YOU ARE HURTING GOOD PEOPLE.
As I have written before, it is not PERA’s job to be fighting for elimination-reduction of the WEP-GPO provisions. Their job, by statute, is to provide administration of the Colorado Pension Fund. It would be best if responders wrote to their US reps- senators, ask(ed) for a reply, and post it here. I agree with a former commenter’s statement that every year it is brought up, mostly for posturing. To chide PERA is incorrect; they have nothing to do with changing it. Their “… occasional reporting…” is about all they can offer. It sounds trite, but the change element is on us, not PERA. “Wishing…”The government is stealing…” the government SHOULD…” “I paid more into…” none of this will happen without political pressure from us. Posting a written response from your US rep/senator, will apply more direct pressure. Another responder is correct; Senators are afraid of causing Soc. Sec. to become (even more) insolvent.. Former Sen. Garner-R (sp?) stated this in his letter to me, which I posted before. It will take a ground-swell of support, especially from our Republican Reps to get this passed. Please post what you receive from your writings. It’s easy, they all have emails.
This change in social security should happen. I worked three part time jobs so my daughter would not have a school loan. The Congress has no problem forgiving those Loans. I did not receive one stimulus check during this pandemic. The congress had no problem giving tax breaks to the 1%. Congress step up to the plate and pass this bill.
Yes like many others I have started working at a young age earning my social security benefit quarters only to have my benefits reduced immensely just because I receive a state pension that I paid fifty percent of out of my check every two weeks. So I did not get my government retirement after 20 years of working
because of military base closures and now the government doesn’t want to give me what I earned in the private sector either. And the powers in charge say they are looking out for the working class. My ass, they only care about themselves and we all know it.
Lip service with no real intent . They can pass any bill they want- right Nancy? There is bipartisan support and they let these bills die again? Frauds!
If the government does not allow public servants to invest in Social Security how can the government penalize a public servant who obeys the law and does not invest in Social Security. Sounds like legalized fraud by the government.
I worked two jobs for 28 years, teaching full time and a part-time job weekends and summers to survive. I planned to work another five years until 70 years of age to minimize the theft of my enforced contributions to FICA, but am unable to now due to health. I have given up on the possibility of a Congressional act to repeal/adjust WEP/GPO. I am now seeking whatever means possible to survive, meaning I will steal, cheat and lie to make ends meet, like the government that enslaves me.
It needs to be changed. I worked my entire life in nonprofit and then my husband left me at 43. I then went into college teaching (STRS) and raised four kids by myself and put them through college. My pension is small–I only worked 16 years as a college professor. I need the money I paid in to the system for all those years. Many delay getting back into the workforce or change careers and go into teaching. This is such a punitive policy.
Does anyone also realize that the WEP\GPO affects your spouse at the time of your death!! BUT of course it does NOT pertain to Senators and Congressmen!
GPO WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION. PSALM 68:5 stop leaving us poor . Husbands work for this earn income for us , we women’s work so hard at other job never really took a day off . We deserve survivors paid have a HEART ? THANK YOU WHO ARE FIGHT FOR SURVIVORS WIDOWS ??
I have worked my whole life on ssi ,until the last 10 of my working career , I paid into the ssi I should get the ssi, all of it and my opers pension with out any ssi taken away, they wont even let you withdraw the opers to put into an ira, if you did they would still take 2/3 out of ssi even if you withdraw it before you actually retire, what is the difference if I had an Ira, and not opers, I would not be penalized, both are retirements why should i lose my ssi because it is opers and not the Ira, makes no sense
Amen to all the comments!
Inexcusable that this issue has not been remedied in well over a decade! Let’s get on with it!
Maybe, just maybe if SSA had invested in a portfolio of funds years ago as PERA has done, it wouldn’t be faced w/ the concern of depleting funds.
This social security reduction especially to zero is very unfair. I have paid thousands to social security over my lifetime but cannot qualify for a monthly benefit to at least get the money I have paid in. This practice truly is stealing. I hope congress will at a minimum recognize this and allow contributors to recoup the monies paid into social security. Regardless of being a retiree of government. It’s only fair.
It seems unlawful that our Government could take away what we have rightfully paid into. My social security amount isn’t much nor is my pension. I need every penny to live on especially with inflation as high as it is now.
WEP needs to be fixed and rightfully given back to those of us who paid into the system. This law needs to go asap and hard working folks given back the money we paid into SS. It is time to overturn this grossly unfair legislation that has eaten into the pocket books of hard working folks.
I have payed into SS for 50 years and only 17 years for PERA. I only have 19 years of substantial income from SS so I will get penalized which isn’t fair at all.
What a wonderful government we have if affected the senators and representatives and congress men there billfold s this would be taken care of so fast it would make your head spin repeal this bill now
My wife worked her whole life contributing to SS and she will get NOTHING because of my state PERS level. I am sorry. I worked for my pension and her getting Social Security for a lifetime of paying in is not a windfall. It is NOT double dipping. She worked, she paid in, she deserves a payout and she will get NOTHING because I earned a pension. My SS will get reduced even though I spent a number of years paying into SS. Not to get rid of this unfair law or to at least allow our spouse to get their rightfully earned SS because it is an administrative burden is so wrong.
I worked both before and after my employment paying into PERA for 22 years. I received a letter from Social Security billing me for $278 to continue my coverage for Medicare. The threat was that I would lose my Medicare if I didn’t pay this bill. I’m 75 years old and I’m outraged! I know I’m not the only one being robbed by lack of action in Congress. Please help those of us affected!
I find it interesting that someone who hasn’t worked much at all can get up to 1/2 of their spouses and yes even exspouse SSI (if they haven’t remarried) , but we who have put into SSI get cut a lot! ?♀️
I worked in private education with SS taken out. I have all my needed quarters. I then worked 23 years public school. I should collect both since I’m totally I’m totally vested in both plans. I SHOUD receive both.
GPO WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION AND WEP , PLEASE YOU HURT LOW INCOME WAGE PEOPLE THAT WORK SO HARD IN LIFE , I SAY TO THE PEOPLE FIGHT FOR THIS RIGHT FOR SURVIVORS INCOME . DON’T STAY SILENT IN THIS MATTER ,ARE YOU WILL BE ROBBED OF EARNING, FROM SPOUSE EARN INCOME . DON’T BE EMBARRASSED TO SPEAK UP YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE . YOUR EARN MONEY HOPE I SEE INPUTS ????????
I’ve been working and laying into ss since I was 14. I also retired from the state this year so my ss is reduced to next to nothing. I shouldn’t be penalized since I was 24.
I’m in Ohio and trying to get word out get Petitions signed , write letter to Mrs Biden , call Tim Ryan and try to get everyone else to do the same. As a single mom I have worked three jobs most of my life now working as a school bus driver for handicap children , because it was the job that I loved most.
I hope Biden keeps his promise and does sway with both. Mrs Biden and Vice President light a fire under someone to repeal the unfair issue, please help. You need to stand for something WHY not this ?? thank you
I agree they have no problem in giving money to the immigrants when they come here to make sure they have a good living but we worked all our lives and then they cut our pay so we can’t They need to take care of the American people that have taken care of them they sure took care of themselves they work one term and set for life paid and get free benefits and everything else you’d better bet they wouldn’t lose no money if it came down they’d have that change in a heartbeat pers need to step up and rattle some doors
When my husband worked in the private sector he paid into Social
Security. We were married over 10 years so Under the law I should
Receive widow’s benefits. I worked as a teacher and as an assistant
Principal in the state of Louisiana. I paid into the states retirement
System for 27 years and therefore got a pension upon retirement.
I was denied the $1734.00 social security widow’s benefits.
WHY This “Government Pension Offset” It is totally wrong.
How did this GPO ever become law? I know, most teacher’s were
Women so they got away with it. It so time to right this wrong.
I worked 37 years Govt. I switched to FERS in 1998. So 19 CSRS, 18 Fers. I have 36 years Social Security. When we made the switch it was not supposed to affect the social security. So it appeared I would get $1335 but no was justv$950. Yes they need to lower the percentage. You work you butt off now 50 years. I swear they said if we switched our ssa would not be affected. It’s unjust. Also in the 1960svand 1970s women did not make as much. But it needs to be adjusted at minimum.
How is a PERA pension considered a “windfall” when other investment vehicles such as stocks, real estate, IRA’s, and CONGRESSIONAL BENEFITS do not trigger this arbitrary penalty?
The worst part about wep is you work your whole life to collect a ss check and then find out the government will steel half of your money and you will be forced to live like a bum someone who has never worked will get more money then someone who worked 40 years this is the most unfair law ever put in place you work your entire life only to find out you are screwed out of everything you worked for will go to my grave still pissed off about wep and gpo
All of us are in this same boat working for years to be able to retire and now cannot because of this GOP. I went to work in our community school as an aide to help only to find out the government is cutting my SS that I paid in while in the outside workforce and my spousal benefits (which had nothing to do with my choice of work). I feel like I have been penalized for my sacrifice. This needs to be totally repealed!!
I am making a list of everyone who doesn’t cosponsor H.R. 82 and will make sure I don’t vote for anyone who can’t support this bill…