Can I finally get Social Security spousal benefits with new GPO law changes if I have a pension?

The new Social Security law (Social Security Fairness Act) does modify the GPO, but it's being phased in gradually starting in 2025. You won't get the full 50% spousal benefit immediately. The reduction will decrease by 1/5 each year until it's eliminated in 2029. For 2025, your spousal benefit would still be reduced by 4/5 of your government pension. So if your pension is $2,000/month and your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) is $2,500, you'd calculate: $1,250 (50% of his benefit) minus $1,600 (4/5 of your pension). In this example, you'd receive $0 because the reduction exceeds the spousal benefit. But as the reduction decreases each year, you'll eventually receive more.

The GPO has been a nightmare for so many of us government retirees!!! I worked as a teacher for 31 years and got NOTHING from my husband's SS when he passed even though he paid in his ENTIRE LIFE!!! These new changes are TOO LITTLE TOO LATE for many of us who've been screwed by this unfair system for DECADES. Why is it taking 5 YEARS to phase in? And why do we still have the WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) reducing our OWN benefits? The whole system is RIGGED against public servants!!

I was in your exact situation last year - government pension and married to someone on Social Security. Based on the numbers you shared in your reply ($2,650 pension and husband's benefit around $2,400), here's how it would work out under the new law: Year 2025: Spousal benefit = $1,200 (50% of $2,400) minus $2,120 (4/5 of $2,650) = $0 Year 2026: Spousal benefit = $1,200 minus $1,590 (3/5 of $2,650) = $0 Year 2027: Spousal benefit = $1,200 minus $1,060 (2/5 of $2,650) = $140/month Year 2028: Spousal benefit = $1,200 minus $530 (1/5 of $2,650) = $670/month Year 2029: Spousal benefit = $1,200 minus $0 = $1,200/month So you'll start seeing benefits in 2027 if these numbers are accurate. My suggestion is to file your application in early 2027 so it's in the system.

my aunt had the same problem with gpo and she finally got some ss last year. she had to bring all kinds of paperwork to prove her pension amount and marriage certificate. they kept losing her stuff at the social security office lol. good luck!!

After spending days trying to reach SSA by phone about my own GPO situation, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at Social Security in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I spoke with was able to calculate exactly how my benefits would phase in year by year under the new law. Given how complicated these GPO phase-out calculations are, I'd recommend talking to an agent directly rather than trying to figure it out yourself.

I'm confused about this whole GPO thing. I thought if you get a pension you can't get Social Security at all? Or is that only for certain government jobs? My cousin works for the post office and says she'll get both her pension and Social Security when she retires.

Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations! Looks like I need to wait until 2027 to see any benefit based on the calculations. It's frustrating to wait, but at least there's finally some relief coming. I'm going to gather all my documents (marriage certificate, pension award letter, etc.) and keep them ready. And I might try that Claimyr service when it gets closer to 2027 since the SSA phone lines are impossible. I really appreciate all of you taking time to explain this complicated mess!

Don't forget about inflation!!! Your husband's SS benefit will get COLA increases each year, which means the 50% spousal benefit amount will increase too. So by 2027 when you start getting benefits, it might be more than the $140/month calculated above. Small consolation for having to wait so long, but at least it's something! And DOCUMENT EVERYTHING when dealing with SSA - they lose paperwork constantly!!!