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!!!

As someone who's been dealing with GPO issues for years, I wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any supplemental programs that might help bridge the gap until 2027. Some states offer additional assistance to government retirees affected by GPO. Also, when you do apply in 2027, consider going to your local SSA office in person rather than calling - I've found they're more helpful face-to-face and less likely to give conflicting information. Bring multiple copies of everything because they really do lose documents frequently. Hang in there - it's been a long fight but we're finally seeing some progress!

I'm also dealing with GPO issues and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I wanted to mention that I found a great resource on the SSA website called "WEP and GPO Fact Sheet" that explains the phase-out schedule in detail. Also, for those struggling to get through to SSA by phone, I've had success calling right when they open at 7 AM local time - the wait times are much shorter then. And definitely keep track of any COLA increases to your spouse's benefits because that will affect your calculations each year. It's frustrating that we have to wait so long for relief, but at least we now have a clear timeline and can plan accordingly. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and breaking down these complex calculations!

I'm a retired firefighter dealing with the same GPO nightmare! Been married 31 years and my wife has been collecting Social Security since 2019. My pension is about $3,100/month so I won't see any spousal benefits until probably 2028 based on these calculations. What really gets me is that I paid into Social Security for 12 years before joining the fire department, but because my pension doesn't have SS taxes, I get penalized twice - once with GPO on spousal benefits and again with WEP on my own benefits from those early working years. The system is broken! At least this thread helped me understand the timeline better than any government website I've found. Going to start gathering my documents now so I'm ready when the time comes.

I'm a newer member here but have been following all these GPO discussions with great interest. My situation is a bit different - I'm 68 and worked as a county clerk for 25 years with a pension that didn't pay into Social Security. My husband passed away last year and I've been trying to figure out if I can get survivor benefits under the new law changes. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the same GPO phase-out applies to survivor benefits too, not just spousal benefits? My pension is $1,800/month and my husband's Social Security was $2,200/month. Does anyone know if the calculations work the same way for widow benefits? I've been living on just my pension since he passed and could really use some clarity on this. Thanks to everyone sharing their knowledge - this community has been more helpful than months of trying to get answers from SSA directly!