Federal Employees, Police Officers, Firefighters, & Other Public Sector Workers Shared How the Windfall Elimination Provision & Government Pension Offset Have Unfairly Reduced or Eliminated Their Social Security Benefits
Yesterday, the Congresswoman Announced that She and Rep. Garret Graves Will File a Discharge Petition to Force a U.S. House Vote on Their Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate the WEP & GPO
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today announced the initial results of her survey focused on how federal employees, police officers, firefighters, local government employees, and retirees have been denied their hard-earned Social Security benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
In less than one week, Spanberger’s office has received more than 2,750 responses from public servants making their voices heard on the issue.
In January 2023 at the start of the 118th Congress, Spanberger and U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA-06) reintroduced the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act to eliminate the WEP and the GPO. Yesterday, Spanberger and Graves announced that they plan to file a discharge petition — when Congress returns to Capitol Hill next month — to force a vote on this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since its reintroduction, the legislation has earned 325 bipartisan cosponsors — far more than the 218 signatures required on the discharge petition to force House Leadership to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote. Spanberger will use the stories she has received to highlight the importance of protecting the Social Security benefits of Virginians and Americans across the United States.
“Virginians and Americans across our country who have dedicated their careers to public service deserve the retirement benefits they paid into — just like everybody else. But for more than 40 years, federal employees, police officers, firefighters, and local government employees have been unfairly penalized for their service to our communities,” said Spanberger. “Since relaunching my survey last week, I have heard from thousands of public servants whose Social Security benefits have been slashed by the WEP or the GPO. These responses underscore the real impacts of these unfair provisions on Virginians — and illustrate why I’m working to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on my bipartisan legislation to eliminate these unfair provisions and protect the Social Security benefits of all Americans.”
Some of the more than 2,750 responses already submitted through the survey include:
“I was only working 24 hours per week for more than 20 years before I became full time with the USPS. I did farm labor part time and paid Social Security on those earnings. I earned more than the needed 40 quarters in order to draw Social Security. I started to draw at age 70 and continue to draw with 2/3 being subtracted because of USPS work. I feel that I am owed that money because I paid in.” — Maxwell, Madison County, Retired U.S. Postal Service Worker
“I have worked in federal service for 29 years. I had a break in service after 21 years as CSRS. When I returned to service, I was labeled CSRS OFFSET for my remaining 8 years. My OPM pension has been reduced by the same amount as my SSA monthly benefit since I retired 10 years ago. I earned both of those benefits, and I do not feel it is just that they can deny me retirement funds that I earned and could use to improve my daily quality of life. I was very happy to see you fighting to get me the proper funds that I earned in my career.” — Ann, Spotsylvania County, Retired Federal Employee
“My Social Security monthly payments have been greatly reduced because I worked in the Newark, New Jersey Police Department. I retired as a Lieutenant of Police in 2002 after 29 years of service. I applied for Social Security benefits when I turned 65 years old. I am now 76 years old. According to my Social Security Statement, I should be receiving $933 per month if I started receiving benefits at 65 years old. Because of the Windfall Elimination Provision, I am only receiving $364 monthly.” — Robert, Caroline County, Retired Police Officer
“I worked over 40 quarters in private industry and paid into Social Security. When I retired from the Federal Govt and filed for both my Federal pension and Social Security, I was told that because I worked for the Feds, I fell under the Windfall Elimination Provision, and that my Social Security would be reduced by about 65%. I was also told there was nothing I could do about it. It was the law. I am losing a minimum of $400 per month.” — Nancy, Orange County, Retired Federal Employee
“As a retired law enforcement officer and current federal employee, I will have 30 plus years of contributions with a very limited return (not enough for 1 trip to the grocery store).” — Brian, Stafford County, Federal Police Officer
“I am affected by the WEP and GPO. As a federal retiree, I am unable to collect the full SS that other retirees can collect. I am penalized for serving my country as a federal employee. My husband and ex-spouse died within the past year. I am unable to collect any SS from either of them even though I am the spouse of one and ex-spouse of the other — both SS recipients. My ex was a Naval officer. When my husband died last July, I lost all of his SS or about 40% of my income. I had to redo my monthly budget.” — Barbara, Prince William County, Retired Federal Employee
“My husband worked for 36 years for the Norfolk School system, but I could not get any of his Social Security when he died in 2003 because I made more money and our youngest child had just turned 18 so also got nothing. I retired from USPS in 2014 under CSRS at OPM and despite having taught school for 8 years before going to USPS, working part time jobs for all my life, and thus having plenty of quarters; I was limited by the windfall provision as to what I can receive from SS, so it basically only pays for my Medicare part B and healthcare premiums.” — Deborah, Prince William County, Retired U.S. Postal Service Worker
“I was receiving my full Social Security benefits, having worked under it for 22 years starting in 1963. The day after I retired as a Federal Employee (January 2009) my Social Security benefits were cut by 50-percent, so I was then receiving half of the benefit due to WEP. By my calculation I have lost over $20,000 due to WEP.” — Linda, Prince William County, Retired Federal Employee
“Reduced my social security benefits even though I fully satisfied my SSA quarters requirement.” — Willie, Stafford County, Retired Firefighter
“Because I have a government pension for working for the U.S. Army as a civilian, I get a greatly reduced Social Security benefit even though I met the SS requirements. My SS does not pay all my Medicare charges. I have to send in a supplement do it.” — Donna, Prince William County, Retired Federal Employee
“Due to WEP and GPO, my Social Security is wiped out due to a government pension for working 31 years as a police officer. Should something happen to my wife, I have been told I will be ineligible for survivor benefits with Social Security. We have been married for 47 years.” — Francis, Prince William County, Retired Police Officer
“I have been fully retired for 10 years. I have been receiving SSA benefits since 2009. I have been penalized by WEP program because of my police service. After I retired from the police department, I went to work in private sector to accrue enough quarters to qualify for social security benefits, but I am still penalized.” — Sandra, Prince William County, Retired Police Officer
“Ron worked a second job outside the federal government to support his dying father (who suffered cancer without insurance) and paid into social security for many years. The WEP reduced his SS payout to peanuts.” — Ron, Culpeper County, Retired Federal Employee
“My wife worked 12 years under Social Security in the private sector before going to the VA. She is not entitled to her full SS benefits because of the WEP. This does affect our income in retirement and bars her from getting benefits that she earned.” — Michael, Stafford County, Retired Federal Employee