Confusion about WEP reform and PERS pension - do my 40 quarters help with Social Security benefits?

The WEP reform that passed recently doesn't eliminate the WEP completely, but it does modify how it works. Having 40 quarters (10 years) of Social Security-covered employment is important, but it doesn't automatically exempt you from WEP. What matters is your years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security, not just quarters of coverage. To find out your specific situation, you need to: 1. Get your earnings record from SSA (through your my Social Security account) 2. Count how many years you had "substantial earnings" (this amount changes by year - for 2025 it's about $31,275) 3. Calculate your potential WEP reduction based on those years The new reform uses a proportional formula that's fairer for people with mixed careers like yours. The more years of substantial earnings you have, the less impact WEP will have.

My brother had same situation with his fire department pension and SS. The 40 quarters just means u qualify for SS benefits but WEP still hits u. Sorry to be bearer of bad news but they still cut your SS by like 30-40% with the pension offset. Its total BS if u ask me since we EARNED those benefits!!!

I went through this exact process last year, though my pension is from teaching rather than PERS. Here's what you need to do to figure out your situation with the WEP reform: 1. Log into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov 2. Download your complete earnings record 3. Look up the "substantial earnings" chart (Google "SSA substantial earnings table") 4. Count how many years your earnings exceeded the threshold for each year If you have 30+ years of substantial earnings, you're completely exempt from WEP. With 21-29 years, you get a partial exemption. With 20 or fewer years, the WEP reduction applies but the new reform makes it proportional to your actual earnings history. The SSA hasn't fully implemented all the system changes for the new formula yet, so even their representatives might give inconsistent information. Your best bet is to schedule an in-person appointment at your local SSA office with a technical expert who specializes in WEP calculations.

I spent 3 weeks trying to get through to SSA about my own WEP situation and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a rep in under 15 minutes! They have this system that basically waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is available. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Saved me so much frustration, and I was able to get detailed answers about my WEP calculation. The agent explained exactly how my pension would affect my SS benefits and what documentation I needed to bring to my in-person appointment.

The 40 quarters thing is SUPER confusing!!! I thought the same thing when I retired from state government. What it actually means is you QUALIFY for Social Security benefits (the minimum to get any benefit at all), but it doesn't protect you from WEP! My husband worked for highway department 25 years with state pension and had about 45 quarters of Social Security too. They still reduced his SS check by almost $450/month because of WEP!!!!! THEY DON'T MAKE IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND ON PURPOSE!!!

I've studied the WEP reform closely as it affected my own retirement planning. The new legislation creates a more proportional formula that considers your lifetime earnings pattern. From what you've described with 42 quarters and roughly 7-8 years of substantial earnings, you'll still see some WEP reduction, but it should be less severe than under the old formula. One important thing to check: look at your Social Security statement to see if they've already applied a WEP reduction to your estimated benefits. Sometimes the estimates don't include the WEP reduction yet, which can lead to surprises at retirement time. Also, keep in mind that the implementation of the new WEP formula is being phased in, so depending on when you plan to claim benefits, you might be under transitional rules.

my sister has PERS and they took almost half her social security! its a crime what they do to public servants!

To directly answer your original question: being positively impacted by the WEP reform depends on your specific earnings history. Those most helped by the reform are people with substantial earnings under Social Security in addition to their government pension. The best way to find out is to request a WEP calculation from SSA under both the old and new methods. Bring: 1. Your complete earnings history (from your my Social Security account) 2. Details about your PERS pension 3. Your expected retirement date The impact varies greatly from person to person. I've seen some clients get an extra $200-300/month under the new formula compared to the old one, while others see minimal change.

Wait I'm confused now...is WEP the same as the Government Pension Offset (GPO)? Cuz my uncle lost his WHOLE spousal benefit from my aunt's record because of his pension...