Can't see my WEP reduction on Social Security benefit statement - where is it listed?
I started receiving Social Security retirement benefits last year after working 30 years, with about 18 years under Social Security and 12 years in a job with a pension that didn't pay into SS. I know I'm subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), and my monthly benefit is definitely lower than what my coworkers with similar earnings are getting. The weird thing is, my benefit statement doesn't specifically show the WEP reduction anywhere. It just shows the final amount. How can I see exactly how much is being deducted for WEP? I'd like to verify they're calculating it correctly based on my years of substantial earnings. Has anyone else dealt with this? Do they break it down somewhere I'm not seeing?
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Zainab Ibrahim
The SSA doesn't show the WEP reduction as a line item on your benefit statement. To see the WEP impact, you need to request a detailed benefit calculation from SSA. Call them and specifically ask for your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) calculation that shows the WEP reduction. They should be able to mail you a detailed statement showing the modified formula they used. The regular benefit statements just show the final amount after all calculations.
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Miguel Ramos
•Thanks for the explanation. That seems like an oversight in their system! Do you know if there's any way to see this online through my Social Security account, or is calling the only option?
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StarSailor
had the same issue!!!! my husband worked for the state for 22 yrs and SS takes a chunk but doesnt show it anywhere. so frustrating!!
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Miguel Ramos
•It's really confusing! Did you ever figure out how to see the actual reduction amount? I just want to make sure they're applying it correctly.
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StarSailor
•nope. gave up trying after 2 calls where i got nowhere. they just said thats how it is. good luck!!!!
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Connor O'Brien
The WEP calculation is actually quite complex. Your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) is calculated using a modified formula when WEP applies. Instead of getting 90% of your first tier of AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings), you get a reduced percentage based on your years of substantial earnings under Social Security. For 2025, with 18 years of substantial earnings, you'd get 75% instead of 90% for the first tier. This reduction is capped at 50% of your non-SS pension amount. You need to request a PEBES (Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement) with WEP calculation included. This isn't available online - you must call SSA directly and specifically request this detailed calculation.
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Yara Sabbagh
•My dad went through this last year. The real problem is most SS reps don't even understand how WEP works! He had to talk to 3 different people before finding someone who could explain his calculation correctly.
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Keisha Johnson
I've been through this exact situation. Trying to get through to someone at Social Security who can explain the WEP calculation was a nightmare. I spent weeks getting disconnected or waiting on hold for hours. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. I explained I needed my detailed WEP calculation and they mailed me the full breakdown showing exactly how much was reduced. There's a short video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through to the right person, they were able to explain everything and even found that they had incorrectly calculated my years of substantial earnings (they were missing 2 years).
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Miguel Ramos
•That's really helpful - thanks! I've been dreading making that call because my local office never answers. I'll check out that service. Did they actually send you a formal document showing the calculation or just explain it over the phone?
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Keisha Johnson
•They mailed me an official calculation worksheet that showed my AIME, the modified WEP formula they used (based on my years of substantial earnings), and the final PIA amount. It was exactly what I needed to verify everything was correct. Definitely ask for the calculation to be mailed to you.
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Paolo Rizzo
Wait I thought WEP and GPO are different things??? I get a pension from teaching and they reduce my husband's benefits because of GPO not WEP. Now I'm confused about which one applies to who.
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Connor O'Brien
•They are different. WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) reduces your OWN Social Security retirement benefit if you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. GPO (Government Pension Offset) reduces spousal or survivor benefits if you receive a pension from non-covered work. So if your teaching pension wasn't covered by Social Security, WEP would affect your own SS retirement benefit (if you had enough credits to qualify for one), while GPO would affect any spousal or survivor benefits you might be eligible for from your husband's record.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Oh! Thanks for explaining! So my husband doesn't have anything reduced - it's MY spousal benefit that's reduced because of my teacher pension. That makes more sense now.
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QuantumQuest
The Social Security statements are practically useless for anyone with WEP or GPO. They don't show the reduction AT ALL! I called last year and the rep told me "just subtract your actual payment from what the statement shows you should get" - which is ridiculous because my statement already shows the reduced amount! The whole system is designed to confuse us.
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StarSailor
•EXACTLY!! they make it impossible to understand on purpose!
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Zainab Ibrahim
Just adding one important point - depending on the number of "substantial earnings" years you have under Social Security, your WEP reduction might not be as severe. With 18 years, you're getting a partial reduction. At 20 years, the WEP impact starts decreasing, and at 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, WEP doesn't apply at all. For 2025, "substantial earnings" means you needed to earn at least $31,725 in those years. Might be worth double-checking your earnings record to make sure all your qualifying years are properly counted.
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Miguel Ramos
•That's actually why I want to see the calculation. I think I had 19 or 20 years of substantial earnings, not 18, but I'm not sure if they're counting correctly. I had some years right at the threshold. Is there a specific form I should ask for when I call?
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Ask specifically for your "Detailed WEP calculation worksheet" and tell them you need to verify your years of substantial earnings. There's no specific form number I'm aware of, but being clear about needing the detailed worksheet with substantial earnings years listed will help. Also, review your earnings record on your Social Security account first so you know which years might be in question.
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Yara Sabbagh
My mom just went through this last month! After three calls to SSA, she found out they were using the wrong number of substantial earnings years in her WEP calculation. They fixed it and her benefit went up by $175/month! Definitely worth checking.
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