Social Security Administration
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Will WEP elimination in 2025 give me full Social Security benefits with my PERS pension?
I'm turning 67 this December and planning to retire after 30+ years in education. I previously worked in the private sector for about 18 years where I paid into Social Security. My school district job doesn't contribute to SS (we have a state pension system instead). I had calculated that because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), my Social Security benefit would be reduced to approximately $675/month even though I'd normally qualify for around $1,850 based on my earnings record. With all the talk about the WEP reform legislation that passed recently, am I correct in thinking that I'll now be eligible to receive my FULL Social Security benefits alongside my teacher's pension? I've heard different things from friends, and the SSA website hasn't been updated with clear guidance yet. Has anyone in a similar situation (government pension + SS-covered work) received information about how the new WEP changes will be implemented? I'm wondering if the SSA will automatically recalculate my benefits or if I need to contact them. Thanks for any insights!
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Can I qualify for SSDI at 59 with work gap after helping run family business under husband's SS number?
My husband has been on SSDI for almost 6 years due to severe back problems and other health issues. His benefits aren't enough to cover our expenses, so I've been trying to keep our small automotive repair shop running by myself. For most of our marriage (about 25 years), we filed taxes under his SS number when we ran the shop together. When he couldn't work anymore, I started filing under my own SS number. Now my health is declining too, and I can't keep up with even the basic services at the shop (oil changes, brake jobs, etc.). I worked outside our business for 14 years earlier in life and earned credits, but there's a significant gap where I was helping at the shop but not paying into my own record. I'm 59 now and wondering if I can qualify for disability or early retirement benefits? I have the work credits from my earlier jobs, plus these last 6 years filing under my own SS number, but I'm worried about that gap in between. I know they calculate benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings. What options do I have? We own our home and have two vehicles (one is a family heirloom), but our income is rapidly disappearing as my health worsens.
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btw when u apply make sure u list EVERY single thing wrong with u not just the main problem. my claim was denied when i only talked about my back but got approved when i listed everything (diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, etc). they look at the COMBINED effect of all ur health problems!
yes!! this is so important!! my cousin only put her main disability and got denied twice but then her lawyer made her list EVERYTHING and she got approved
I hadn't thought about listing everything. I've been focusing on my severe arthritis and back problems, but I also have high blood pressure, early stage COPD from years around the shop, and some vision problems. I'll make sure to document all of these. Thank you!
One more thing to consider about your situation: If your husband's SSDI benefit is very low, it might be because not all of your business income was properly credited to his earnings record during those years you filed jointly. Self-employment income is reported on Schedule SE, and sometimes small business owners don't complete this correctly. It might be worth having a Social Security representative review his earnings record to ensure all income was properly credited. If there are errors, you can request corrections with proof of tax filings. The same goes for your own record during the 6 years you've been filing - make sure you're completing Schedule SE correctly so your self-employment earnings count toward your Social Security credits.
That's an excellent point. We've always used a tax preparer from H&R Block, but I've never specifically checked if the Schedule SE was done correctly. I'm going to pull all our tax returns from the last 10 years and review them. Thank you for this tip!
Social Security earnings limit strategy: Collecting SS benefits in January before FRA while working full-time?
I'm turning 64 in December and eligible for Social Security early retirement. I've been playing with some numbers and stumbled on what seems like a potential strategy. Has anyone tried taking Social Security starting in January while INTENTIONALLY knowing you'll exceed the earnings limit for the year? My thought process: I could start benefits in January (I'll get about $2,450/month), continue working full-time making $110,000 annually, exceed the earnings limit by a lot, then just pay back the required amount from what I saved from the SS payments. The 2025 earnings limit is something like $22,320 before FRA, so I'd be way over. But wouldn't I essentially be getting an interest-free loan from SSA that I could invest or use to pay down higher-interest debt during the year? Then just pay back the withholding amount when SSA catches up? This seems like I'd come out ahead financially. Has anyone actually done this? Any major downsides I'm missing? Or is this just a dumb idea that will create a paperwork nightmare?
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I tried calling SSA to ask about something similar and couldn't get through after 3 DAYS of trying!!! Their phone system is USELESS!!! Kept saying "high call volume" and disconnecting me. WHAT A JOKE! If you're really considering this strategy you NEED to talk to an actual SSA rep to understand all the implications, not just random internet strangers!
I had the same problem trying to call about my disability review last month! Found out about this service called Claimyr from another thread here that gets you through the phone system. Costs money but it worked - they got me an agent in 20 minutes when I had been trying for days. Their website (claimyr.com) has a video showing how it works. For something this important, might be worth it.
has anyone done the math on this? like actually calculated if you come out ahead? I mean, if you take $2,450 x 12 = $29,400 for the year then have to pay back based on the formula ($110,000 - $22,320) / 2 = $43,840 you'd owe more than you received? am i missing something?
Your math is correct. With the numbers provided, they would withhold approximately $43,840, which exceeds the annual benefit amount of $29,400. This means SSA would recover the full year's benefits and continue withholding from the following year's payments until they've recouped the full amount. This is why this strategy doesn't work mathematically at higher income levels - you end up owing more than you receive, creating a deficit rather than any advantage.
Social Security WEP reduction exceeds 50% of my pension - is SSA calculating it wrong?
I retired from teaching after 18 years and receive a small pension of $675.90 monthly before taxes. My Social Security retirement benefits were just approved (applied 3 months ago), but they're reducing my SS by $423 due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). I thought SSA wasn't allowed to reduce benefits by more than half of my non-covered pension amount? If half my pension is about $338, how can they take $423? Is the SSA office miscalculating or am I misunderstanding the WEP rules? The letter explaining the calculation is confusing - something about 'substantial earnings' and 'modified formula'. Can anyone explain in plain English if this reduction is correct?
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Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I'll definitely check my earnings record and make sure all my substantial earnings years are counted correctly. I did have some summer jobs and a few years of part-time work while teaching that might help. I'll also request the detailed WEP calculation and see if there are any errors. It's still frustrating to lose so much of my Social Security after paying into it for years, but at least I understand the rules better now.
anyone know if WEP applies if you switch to disability??? my teacher friend got SSDI and thinks she avoided WEP somehow?
WEP does apply to SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) just like it applies to retirement benefits. However, there's a disability freeze provision that sometimes results in a different calculation. Also, if someone receives a disability pension from teaching instead of a regular pension, different rules might apply. Your friend should double-check her specific situation with SSA.
Social Security survivor benefits for early retirement and SSDI - which spouse gets what after death?
I'm trying to figure out how survivor benefits will work in our situation. My husband has been on SSDI for 9 years and will turn 65 next year. I took my retirement benefits early at 62 (I'll be 66 soon). I heard someone say "when one spouse passes away, the other gets whichever current benefit is higher" but I'm not sure if that applies to our mixed SSDI/early retirement situation. What exactly happens when either of us passes away? Does it matter that I took early retirement? Would I get his SSDI amount if he passes first? Would he get my reduced benefit if I go first? The SSA website is so confusing on this topic.
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Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've learned so much. One last question - does anyone know if I need to do anything special when my husband's SSDI converts to retirement benefits next year? Will that change affect potential survivor benefits in any way?
No action needed when SSDI converts to retirement - it happens automatically and the payment amount stays exactly the same. There's no impact on future survivor benefits. The only thing I'd recommend is that both of you create My Social Security accounts online if you haven't already, so you can see your benefit amounts and estimates. Makes planning much easier.
THIS IS WHY I HATE THE SSA!!! Why is everything so confusing!? Why can't they just make it simple! My uncle lost out on thousands because no one told him he had to APPLY for survivor benefits when my aunt died! They should automatically give you the higher amount!
It is frustrating! When I was helping my sister with survivor benefits, we couldn't get clear answers until we finally got through to an actual SSA representative. After three days of trying, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person at SSA who can look at your specific situation.
Morgan Washington
my neighbor works for our state pension system and she said they've been swamped with questions about this! apparently the state retirement systems don't have any more info than we do right now lol
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Anna Stewart
Typical government bureaucracy! Left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. And meanwhile WE have to figure out how to plan our retirements with incomplete information!
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Nathan Kim
One important update: Based on the information shared, I ran a quick calculation using what we know about the new proportional formula. With 18 years of substantial earnings under Social Security out of a 48-year career, approximately 37.5% of your career was in covered employment. The new formula will likely result in you keeping about 37.5% of the difference between your WEP-reduced benefit ($675) and your non-WEP benefit ($1,850). So: $675 + (0.375 × ($1,850 - $675)) = approximately $1,116 per month. This is just an estimate based on the general formula, but it gives you a better idea of what to expect. The actual calculation will be more complex and depend on your specific earnings history.
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Gavin King
AuthorThat's incredibly helpful - thank you! A potential increase to $1,116 would make a significant difference in my retirement planning. I really appreciate you taking the time to calculate that estimate.
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