Can I collect Social Security retirement benefits while still working at my government pension job?

Yes, you can collect Social Security retirement benefits at your full retirement age (FRA) without any earnings limit penalties, even while continuing to work at your government job. However, there are two important considerations in your situation: 1. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) may reduce your Social Security benefit because you'll receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. 2. If your government position isn't covered by Social Security (many state/local government jobs aren't), you might also be subject to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) which could affect any spousal or survivor benefits. I'd strongly recommend requesting a detailed benefits calculation from SSA before making any decisions, as these provisions can significantly impact your benefit amount. The actual reduction depends on your specific work history and pension amount.

im in basically the same boat. worked for state gov for 22 yrs but had 12 yrs private before that. the wep thing is a real pain, cuts my SS by like 40%!! nobody tells you about this stuff when you take the govt job. good luck

There's actually a calculation sheet the SSA uses for WEP. The reduction is based on how many "substantial earnings" years you have in Social Security-covered employment. With 15 years in private sector, you're probably looking at a moderate WEP reduction. And yes, you can absolutely claim at FRA with no earnings test penalties. The earnings test only applies before FRA. After that, earn as much as you want with no reduction. One strategy to consider: if your government job doesn't provide health insurance for retirees, you might want to wait until 65 for Medicare before retiring from the government position, even if you start collecting SS at your FRA.

I went through this exact situation last year! The WEP reduced my benefit by about $350/month, which was annoying but not devastating. The most frustrating part was actually getting accurate information from SSA about how much my benefit would be. I kept getting different answers every time I called. After weeks of busy signals and disconnections, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent without waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through to a knowledgeable agent, they were able to calculate my exact WEP reduction and confirm I could keep working at my government job without penalty since I was past FRA. Definitely worth getting the official calculation rather than estimating.

Dont forget to check if ur state has any exemptions for WEP. Some states have agreements that might reduce the impact. Also ask about the "substantial earnings" test - if u made enough in those 15 SS-covered years u might get a smaller reduction.

The system is TOTALLY RIGGED against government workers!!! I worked 25 years and paid into SS, then 12 with the state, and they SLASHED my SS benefit by almost 60%!! It's ROBBERY!!! They're stealing OUR MONEY that WE PAID IN!!! Don't expect fair treatment - the WEP and GPO are just ways for them to STEAL from public servants. The whole thing is CRIMINAL and Congress does NOTHING to fix it!!!

Let me add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you continue working in SS-covered employment (like taking a part-time private sector job) after you retire from your government position, you might eventually reduce or eliminate the WEP penalty. The WEP reduction decreases for every year of "substantial earnings" in SS-covered employment. If you can accumulate 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, the WEP doesn't apply at all. So even working part-time in the private sector after your government retirement could help if you earn enough to meet the substantial earnings threshold (which is $31,275 in 2025).

one thing nobody mentioned yet - check if ur eligible for the public service loan forgiveness program before you retire from govt work. could help with any student loans if u have them

Based on your comments, here's what I recommend: 1. Get an appointment with SSA to calculate your specific WEP reduction based on your earnings history. This will give you a clear picture of what to expect. 2. Since you're at FRA, you can collect full SS benefits (minus WEP reduction) while continuing to work at your government job with no earnings limit penalties. 3. Consider your strategy after leaving your government job - even part-time work in the private sector could help reduce your WEP penalty over time. 4. Request a PEBES (Benefit Estimate) statement from SSA that accounts for the WEP, as the standard statements online don't always factor this in. The combination of your reduced SS benefit and your government pension may still provide good retirement security, especially with the government health benefits you mentioned.