Can I claim Social Security spousal benefits with CalPERS pension and only 21 work credits?

Unfortunately, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) will likely reduce or eliminate any spousal benefits you might be eligible for. The rule is that your Social Security spousal benefit will be reduced by 2/3 of your government pension amount. So if your CalPERS pension is substantial, you may not receive any SS spousal benefits at all. For example, if your monthly CalPERS pension is $3,000, then $2,000 (2/3 of $3,000) would be deducted from any Social Security spousal benefits you'd otherwise qualify for. Since the maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's FRA benefit amount, and he started early at 62 (meaning his benefit is reduced), your potential spousal benefit might be less than $2,000 to begin with.

my sister has same problem with her teacher pension in texas. she got NOTHING from her husbands ss even tho they been married 35 years!! she was so mad. the windfall thing is a total ripoff if u ask me

Let me break down the math more precisely for you. You need 40 quarters (credits) to qualify for your own Social Security retirement benefits, so with 21 quarters, you don't qualify for your own benefit. However, you can still potentially qualify for spousal benefits based on your husband's record. The spousal benefit formula is typically up to 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what he would receive at his Full Retirement Age (FRA). Since he claimed at 62, his benefit is reduced, but your spousal benefit would be based on his PIA, not his reduced amount. However, as mentioned, GPO will reduce your spousal benefit by 2/3 of your government pension. With a $4,200 CalPERS pension, the offset would be $2,800. If your husband's PIA is less than $5,600 (which is almost certainly the case), then your potential spousal benefit of 50% of his PIA would be completely eliminated by the GPO. Still, I'd recommend contacting SSA directly to get the exact calculation for your situation. There can sometimes be exceptions or details specific to your case.

Ugh, don't get me started on the GPO! My mom lost out on thousands because of this rule. She worked as a school administrator for 30 years, then found out she couldn't get my dad's Social Security when he passed away. Almost her entire survivor benefit was wiped out by that 2/3 rule. She had to sell their house and downsize because of it. These rules NEED to change!!!

I had a similar issue trying to navigate CalPERS and Social Security. Getting through to SSA on the phone was IMPOSSIBLE - I'd wait hours only to get disconnected. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with calculated exactly how much my GPO reduction would be and confirmed I was still eligible for a small spousal benefit (about $120/month). Not much, but better than nothing! Might be worth checking your specific numbers instead of assuming you'll get zero.

Has anyone tried to get the quarters they need by working part-time after retirement? I heard you can earn 4 quarters per year, and I think the amount needed per quarter in 2025 is around $1,690 in earnings. So theoretically, couldn't the original poster work part-time for 5 years to get the additional 19 quarters needed to reach 40? Then they'd qualify for their own benefit, which wouldn't be subject to GPO (though might be affected by WEP).

I called SSA this morning after several attempts and got through using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. The agent confirmed what you all said - with my CalPERS pension, I'll get $0 in spousal benefits because of the GPO. I was hoping there might be some loophole or exception, but apparently not. I appreciate everyone's help explaining this. At least now I understand the rules better and can stop wondering if I'm missing out on benefits I deserve. My husband and I will just need to budget accordingly with what we have.