Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO

I'm having difficulty calculating my wife's SS benefit at her FRA. I will be 70 this April and will begin my SS benefit at $3581/mo. Wife has 10 years significant earnings and her FRA benefit is estimated on her SS statement will be $827/mo. However she has 16yrs teaching and will have a monthly pension of $1807/mo. We plan for her to claim spousal benefit on my claim. But when I calculate the GPO and WEP reductions, her benefit is less than $0. It seems that the combo of GPO and WEP eliminates her SS benefit whether she claims spousal or not. Am I missing something?

Larry,
Is there a simple way to figure pension offset when it comes to receiving social security benefits? My first career provided a pension and I fell under a social security exemption. Since then, I’ve successfully continued a second career in which I’ve met my social security quarters but I’m curious how much my estimated benefits will be reduced? Social securities site is difficult to understand in regards to this question. Thank you! Jim

Hi Jim,

When ths SS law was change by Reagan. We were told that the people who started prior to a certain date would be "GRANDFATHERED IN". Meaning the new SS law would not affect us. (The city of Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power) workers if we should chose to work after retiring from the city. I retired in 1999, worked long enough to qualify for SS benefits. When applying I was told that my monthly allotment of approximant benefit $900 would be lowered to $200. Due to my working for the LADWP.

Hi Larry,

52yo here considering a new job with city government. I've been working full-time since age 17 (military but no pension benefit eligibility) followed by private sector to date. Am I correct in my reading of WEP that with my now 30 plus years of work, any potential government pension would not result in a reduction of future social security benefits?

Thx

Hi,

My Widowed mother receives a non covered pension from her teaching career of $3500/month. Her pension has an annual inflation adjustment. Her husband, who she had been married to for 50 years, died in 2007. My mother was well past FRA at that time. At the time of his death, he was receiving a SS benefit of $2000/month. I assume my mother’s SS widow benefit is subject to the GPO. Currently, she receives no widow’s benefit, as 2/3rd’s of her pension completely offsets the $2000 benefit she would otherwise receive.

I'm a federal retiree under CSRS with a survivor's benefit for my wife. My started drawing her social security at age 64 or 65; she was eligible for social security at 62. Will she be able to both her social security and CSRS survivor's benefits after my death?

Hi,

Yes. Drawing a CSRS survivor pension would have no adverse affect on your wife's Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry

Twenty five years ago I cashed out my pers. Now today I am filling under my wife’s social security.How will this affect my social security retirement?

Hi,

Hi, I worked as an educator for 10 years in AZ and worked other jobs for 10 years in AZ. I moved to IL and found out that teachers here don't have social security withdrawn from their checks. I was told the IL TRS acts like social security and a state pension. I know in AZ after you reach so many points you can retire and collect AZ state retirement then when you get to the age for social security, you receive that. I kept my AZ state retirement because it accrues interests and collects points still. I don't want to loose the money I put into social security.

Hello,

My wife has a Conneticuit Teachers retirement pension, if we select a surviving spouse benefit and she passes away before me would I be able to collect my social security benefit $2,250 and her surviving pension of 36K annually. Or would my social security benefit be reduced?

Thank you

Hi,

I am a retired CSRS postal employee. My husband's survivor benefit from me is $1,896 monthly. Will this reduce his Social Security payment, which will be based on his work earnings, not mine. Thank you for your help.

Hi,

No. If your husband receives a survivor pension from the CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System) it would have no effect on his Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry