I am receiving SER retirement benefits .. 20 years as School Secretary. Will I still get my social security at 65 or 67? I previously contributed to SS and according to updates have enough quarters. Someone said I can not collect both. True? Neither are much.

Hi,

If you've got at least 40 quarters of Social Security coverage you'll be able to draw Social Security retirement benefits. But, assuming that you didn't pay taxes on the earnings that qualified you for your SER pension then your Social Security retirement rate will likely be lower than normal due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). WEP never reduces a person's benefit rate to zero, though, so it sounds like you'll be able to draw some Social Security benefits in addition to your SER pension (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf).

Except for the less generous benefit calculation used when WEP applies, Social Security retirement benefit options remain the same. That is, you can file for reduced benefits as early as age 62 or instead let your benefits continue to grow until age 70 (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/delayret.html). Our maximization software handles WEP calculations so you may want to use it to compare your options and determine your best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry