Ask Larry

Will My Public Pension Reduce My Benefit Amount?

Hi, I retired from Ohio in 2002 from city employment with a govt. pension that did not have SS paid into it. Since then, I have 14 years in Missouri while paying full SS taxes. Will my benefit be reduced because of my Ohio employment with the state retirement fund that was not part of SS? Thanks, Wayne

Wayne, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) were created to prevent people with public pensions getting artificially high Social Security benefits. The WEP reduces your retirement benefit and the GPO would reduce any spousal, divorced spousal, widower's or divorced widower's benefit you could get. Thanks, John

Posted: 
Jul 8 2016 - 9:15pm
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