I am a Canadian citizen and resident receiving Canada pension benefits from working there. I also worked part time in the US for 18 years paying US social security and medicare payments. This entitled me to a small pension from US Social Security. However the amount has been substantially reduced due to the WEP. Why should that be when clearly I would never have paid US SS on my Canadian earnings but do not see why the WEP should apply since I am not a US citizen. Thanks

Hi,

Hi Larry and Jerry,
My husband is a high earning federal government employee. His social security and pension benefits are impacted by CSRS offset. My husband is 66 and will retire in about 2 years. Considering the offset, he calculates his social security benefit to be $2,500 monthly at age 68.
I have worked part-time most of my life, but now work full-time and qualify for a social security benefit based on my earnings of about $2,000 monthly at age 70.

I will be collection a City Pension in Massachusetts but living in New Hampshire when I reach the age of 65 will my social security benefits, which I earned from other employment, be penalized?

Hi,

I will be receiving a govt. pension from being a teacher in CA. I will be receiving only a small Social Security benefit (due to only 12 credited years and WPA and GPO). My wife is ten years younger and will collect a substantial portion of my pension when I'm gone - which will be much greater than her SS benefits (also affected by WPA and GPO when she gets my pension).

Dad recently passed. My 74 yr old Mom retired from State of Mass with a small pension. Her pension check is comprised of two parts. One labeled pension and one labeled Annuity. The annuity portion from what I understand is her contributions plus interest. SSA is calculating her GPO including both parts. Should the GPO calculation include the annuity portion?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm 63 and still working. I receive widows social security 5 months a year. I also have worked under PERS for the last 20 years making around $10,000 a year. Will I still get social security when I reach 66?

Hi,

That depends. If you have 40 quarters of Social Security coverage, then you could apply for retirement benefits on your own record. However, you could only receive the higher of your own benefit rate or your widow's rate, not both.

I worked for 13 years in Canada, when I was a Canadian citizen. Now I would like to take spousal benefits on my husband's Social Security. My Canadian Pension monthly payments would be about $250 per month. Will Social Security reduce my husband's benefit and/or my benefit because of WEP or GPO?

Hi,

No. Your Canadian pension wouldn't subject you to GPO (Government Pension Offset) since foreign pensions are exempted from that provision. Nor would your pension have any effect on your husband's Social Security benefit rate.

Best, Jerry

I work for a school district and will receive a pension upon retirement. I have not paid enough into social security to have any benefits of my own, so I'm not concerned about the WEP. I have three plan choices, with my husband receiving no benefits, half benefits, and full benefits if I die first. Of course, the monthly pension is greatest with no spousal benefits (roughly $3200, $3000, and $2850 respectively under the three scenarios). My husband will receive social security benefits of about $2600 per month.

Hello Larry,

My grandmother who is 81 years old recently lost her husband that was receiving social security. She currently has a pension from UCLA Hospital and applied for my grandfather social security but was denied because she made too much. She only makes 1200 a month and her mortgage is 867 plus her car and insurance and other bills, the money she receives is not enough to cover all these obligation. Is there anything she can do to get social security benefits?

Hi,

My husband retired from the school system and is receiving a pension. He barely paid into SS so he receives a very nominal payment. I plan on retiring from my job early next year when I am 64. I don't plan on collection SS until I am 70. I am reading about spousal benefits but not quite sure I understand the process. Do I apply but defer and then he can collect spousal benefits?

Hi,