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Will the new 2025 Social Security law affect my survivor benefits with police pension? GPO/WEP question
I'm super confused about this new Social Security law everyone's talking about that just got signed. I receive survivor benefits from my late husband AND his police pension. I've been getting both for about 3 years now. My sister called yesterday saying something about how this new law changes things for people with government pensions? Something about WEP or GPO getting changed? I have no idea if they've been reducing my survivor benefits all this time because of his police pension, or if this new law will change my payments. My monthly survivor benefit is $1,780 and his police pension is $3,250 monthly. How do I find out if I'm affected by this Government Pension Offset thing and if my payments will change with this new law? The SSA website is so confusing and I can't find anything specific to my situation!
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Social Security earnings limit at FRA - how much can I earn at 66 and 11 months without penalties?
I'm turning 66 and 11 months in August 2025 and trying to figure out the Social Security earnings rules. I'm already getting my retirement benefits but got offered some part-time consulting work. Does anyone know how many hours or how much money I can make at this age without Social Security taking anything back? I've heard different things - some people say there's no limit once you reach full retirement age, others say there's still some kind of earnings test. Also confused about whether they automatically take taxes out or if I need to handle that myself? Thanks for any help!
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Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! This clears up a lot of my confusion. I'm going to take that consulting job and not worry about an earnings limit. I'll talk to my tax person about possibly making estimated quarterly payments to cover the extra income and maybe adjusting my withholding on my Social Security benefits too. Really appreciate all the explanations!
That sounds like a good plan! Talking to a tax professional is definitely wise in this situation. If you're doing consulting work, you might also want to ask about potential deductions for business expenses that could help offset some of the tax impact. Enjoy your consulting work!
I just wanted to apologize for my earlier response. I was confusing the rules before and after FRA. My husband was still 6 months away from his FRA when he went back to work, which is why he saw a reduction. Thank you to everyone who provided the correct information!
we all get confused with these complicated rules! the SSA website makes it so hard to understand anything!!
Can I receive both ex-spouse Social Security benefits AND my own SS at 62? Agent gave confusing info
I just had the most confusing conversation with a Social Security rep yesterday. I'm turning 62 next month and wanted to understand my options. The agent told me I could collect approximately $900/month based on my ex-husband's record AND about $600/month from my own record because of 'when I was born.' I've always understood that you can't collect both benefits simultaneously - you get the higher of the two amounts. Did this rep give me completely wrong information? I was born in 1963 if that matters. We were married for 22 years before divorcing in 2010, and he always made substantially more than me. I'm so confused now about what I'm actually eligible for!
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BTW make sure u know filing at 62 means permanently reduced benefits! I did it and sometimes regret not waiting longer
This is an important point. Filing at 62 results in a permanent reduction of about 30% compared to waiting until Full Retirement Age (FRA). For someone born in 1963, FRA is 66 years and 10 months. And if you wait even longer, until age 70, your benefit would increase by 8% per year beyond FRA.
After reading through this thread, I want to summarize the correct information for clarity: 1. You cannot receive both your own retirement benefit AND an ex-spouse benefit at full value simultaneously. 2. If eligible for both, you receive the higher of the two amounts. 3. The "restricted application" strategy that allowed collecting one benefit while the other grows was eliminated for anyone born after January 1, 1954. 4. At age 62, both your own retirement benefit and any ex-spouse benefit would be reduced by approximately 30% from their full retirement age amounts. 5. The rep likely meant you'd receive $900 total (not $900 + $600). I strongly recommend getting a detailed benefits calculation from SSA showing your options at different claiming ages before making any decisions.
Thank you for this clear summary. I've scheduled another call with SSA for next week and I'll specifically ask for benefit calculations at different ages. This has been so helpful!
When will SSA address suspended GPO accounts? No response from Social Security for months
I've been waiting since January for SSA to review my Government Pension Offset (GPO) situation. My spousal benefits were suspended after an 'audit' (their words not mine) found I might be subject to GPO, but I've worked in both covered and non-covered employment. I've submitted all the requested documentation showing my pension contributions and SS-covered work history THREE times now. The local office keeps saying 'it's being processed at the payment center' but nothing happens. Has anyone else been stuck in GPO limbo? How long did your case take to resolve? I'm getting desperate as my savings are dwindling fast.
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Update: I took the advice about requesting critical case status and brought documentation about my financial hardship to the local office yesterday. The claims specialist was actually very helpful and submitted the request. She said it should speed things up considerably. Also got confirmation that I'll receive full back pay once it's resolved. Thanks everyone for your suggestions - this has been so stressful!
Social Security survivor benefits after GPO repeal - will I get my ex-husband's full benefit even though he was on SSDI?
I'm really confused about what survivor benefits I'm entitled to now that the GPO might be repealed. I'm 66 and finally visited SSA last week after avoiding them for years. Back when I was 62, I went to ask about survivor benefits from my ex-husband who passed away at 59. The agent basically laughed me out of the office saying I'd get nothing because of my teacher's pension (GPO) and didn't even bother putting anything in the system. Now with this potential GPO repeal, I made another appointment. This agent was much nicer and signed me up to receive the reduced amount (with GPO still applied). She also backdated it 6 months since I'm past my FRA. I brought all my documentation showing I have my own 40 quarters from jobs before teaching, plus my ex-husband's death certificate and our marriage records (we were married 12 years). Here's what's confusing me - my ex was receiving SSDI when he died. The agent told me that once Biden signs the GPO repeal bill, I'll get 100% of what he would have received at full retirement age, not the SSDI amount he was actually getting. Everything I've read says survivors only get what the deceased was actually receiving. I specifically asked about this, and she insisted I'd get his full retirement amount, not his SSDI amount. I already got a call saying my application was approved, but I'm worried I'll end up with an overpayment later. Does anyone know which is correct? Will I get what he would have received at full retirement age, or just his actual SSDI payment amount?
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I think everyone's making this too complicated lol. Here's the simple version: if he was on SSDI when he died, that's the same amount as full retirement. SSDI payments aren't reduced like early retirement is. So you'd get that full amount after GPO repeal (if it happens). But honestly don't get your hopes up about the repeal, they've been promising that forever.
Thanks for putting it simply! So SSDI is the same as what he would've gotten at full retirement age? That makes sense. And yeah, I'm not counting on the repeal, but it would be nice!
Has anyone heard when the House will vote on the GPO repeal? My pension from teaching for 31 years is eating almost ALL of my late husband's SS benefit and I'm struggling to make ends meet!!
The House schedule isn't certain yet. The Senate passed it as part of the Social Security Fairness Act, but there's still significant legislative process ahead. I'd recommend following the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) website as they post regular updates on the progress of the GPO/WEP repeal efforts.
Andre Dupont
does anyone know when the changes actually start??? i heard some people saying next month but others said it could be YEARS before we see a penny!!!!!
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AstroAdventurer
Implementation schedules vary by provision and are specifically outlined in the legislation. Some aspects may take effect within months, while others could be phased in over several years. This is typical for major Social Security changes to minimize budget impacts. The SSA will need time to update their systems and processes to accommodate these changes. Your best bet is to periodically check the official SSA website for updates specific to GPO/WEP changes, as they'll post implementation timelines once they're finalized.
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Jamal Wilson
I think I'm affected by this too but I'm getting widows benefits and my deceased husband's fire pension. But I've always gotten both full amounts? Now I'm confused if I should be worried about reductions or happy about increases lol
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GalacticGuru
If you're receiving both your husband's fire pension AND full Social Security survivor benefits without reduction, it's possible your situation is different. Some pensions are from jobs that were covered by both their pension system AND Social Security (meaning Social Security taxes were paid), which wouldn't trigger GPO. Or there could be other exceptions applying in your case. I'd recommend verifying with SSA that you're not subject to GPO rather than assuming the new law will change anything for you.
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