Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO

Hi Larry (and Mike, John, Alex & Isaac),

Thank you for your excellent website, book & app.

I worked for many years in UK and when I filled in the form for my Social Security I was told my UK pension would be deducted from my US Social Security under the Windfall Rules even though I paid in over 24 years in USA. How can this be legal? I paid in fully to both systems and now am told I'm not entitled to both. Can I appeal? I have an appointment on Jan. 7th with my local Social Security office.
I'd be very grateful for your advice. Thanks You. Sandra

Hi Sandra,

My husband has a federal employee pension and no social security. I have a teachers pension. If he dies before me is there any offset from his pension and my SS.

Hi,

No. If you receive a civil service survivor pension based on your husband's federal employment it will not affect your Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry

I plan to retire early next year (hopefully sometime shortly after February 1) and will receive a lump sum check for Vacation and Compensatory Time. I have a pension for work that I did not pay into Social Security, so my SS will be reduced because of the WEP (I have not started receiving SS yet). However I currently have over 20 years of "Substantial Earnings", so if I can earn enough in 2019 to meet the Substantial Earnings amount (I believe for 2019 that is $24,675), I can add another year to offset some of that reduction.

I work for a local municipality who offers employees a FICA Replacement Plan (401a) in lieu of social security. Since I also have other employment history that entitles me to social security based on my other (non-municipal) earnings record, I am aware that my SSA benefits will be lowered due to the Windfall Elimination Provision.

Hello, an older friend of mine recently lost her husband. She is 89. His monthly social security benefit was about $1,800 per month. She taught for many years in the Illinois public School system and collects an Illinois teachers retirement pension of about $2,400 per month. She had also been collecting $90 per month from Social Security based on Social Security eligible work. She had always been told that the GPO would wipe out any Social Security survivor's benefit she might be eligible for.

Retired after 23 yrs, husband is deceased, retired Major Airforce, have DD214 forms, divorced after his retirement, he as in intellengence at Pentagon, I only get 83.00 mthly SS from him, we were married 23 years, why do I not qualify any more of his SS, I checkd with SS here with no answer?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

How is 2019 Substantial Earnings calculated? A person would need to make almost $4.00 an hour more than minimum wage to make 2018 Substantial Earnings. This discriminates against people working at minimum wage. How is this fair?

Hi,

Hello, good evening.
My wife is 65 years of age and applying for spousal benefits on hers and my record. She is receiving pension in Poland. Before SS worker told us she is going to get about 50% of my benefits and WEP do not apply to this.
I would like to know where is the truth, because right now SS worker took her application and told us she will be penalized for receiving foreign pension. She got about 20 years of work on her record.

Hi,

Hi Jerry:

Thanks so much for your detailed and prompt response, I appreciate it. We'll subscribe to the software for a more detailed assessment, as you suggested.

There is one detail, however, that I need to ask as a follow-up. You noted the following: