Can I get Social Security spousal benefits as a teacher under GPO/WEP if I didn't pay into the system?

Both GPO and WEP will affect you, but in different ways. GPO specifically reduces spouse benefits when you receive a pension from non-covered work (like your teaching position). The reduction is generally 2/3 of your pension amount. So if your teacher's pension is $3,000/month, your Social Security spousal benefit would be reduced by $2,000. If your spousal benefit would have been $1,500, you'd get nothing because the reduction is more than your benefit amount. WEP only affects your own Social Security benefits, not spousal benefits. But since you mentioned you only have 8 credits, you wouldn't qualify for your own retirement benefits anyway (you need 40).

My sister is a teacher in Texas and got NOTHING from her husband's SS even though he paid in for 45 years!!! The system is completely UNFAIR to teachers and other public servants!!

i think you might still get something depends on the actual numbers when u apply just make sure to tell ssa bout your pension

As someone who handled this exact situation, I can clarify a few things: 1. GPO will reduce your spousal benefits by 2/3 of your teacher pension amount 2. WEP only applies to your own SS benefits (which you won't get with only 8 credits) 3. If your spousal benefit is completely eliminated by GPO, you might still qualify for survivor benefits if your husband passes away (though those would also be reduced) I recommend you request a calculation from SSA directly. They can give you specific numbers based on your situation. The calculations can be very specific to your exact circumstances.

I was in the same boat last year, trying to figure out my teacher pension and SS situation. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to SSA after weeks of frustration. They connected me to an agent in about 15 minutes who calculated my GPO reduction and gave me the exact amount I could expect. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Based on what you've shared, you might not get any spousal benefits if your pension is large, but at least you'll know for sure instead of guessing.

One thing no one has mentioned: if you worked ANY job that paid into Social Security for at least 30 years with substantial earnings, you could be exempt from WEP (though GPO would still apply to spousal benefits). Also, if you have 20-29 years of substantial SS earnings, WEP's effect is reduced. But to be clear, WEP only affects your own benefits, while GPO affects benefits you'd receive from someone else's record (like spousal or survivor). And you need 40 credits (usually 10 years of work) to qualify for your own SS retirement benefits.

do u get medicare at least? or do teachers have their own thing for that too?

Update: I finally got through to SSA after using the Claimyr service that someone suggested. The agent confirmed that with my projected pension of $4,200, I'll get zero spousal benefits (the GPO reduction exceeds what I would receive). However, she explained that if my husband passes away, I might still get some survivor benefits since those can be up to 100% of his benefit (before GPO reduction) instead of the 50% for spousal benefits. She also clarified that if I work a job with Social Security coverage for 5 more years (to get to at least 20 credits), it still won't help me get my own retirement benefit (need 40 credits), but it might slightly improve my situation with survivor benefits later. Knowing the real numbers is frustrating but at least now we can plan appropriately. Thanks everyone for your help!