Does the FAIR Act apply to Social Security WEP for postal workers with 13 years USPS service?

The FAIR Act (Social Security Fairness Act) is aimed at eliminating or reforming the WEP and GPO provisions, which can reduce Social Security benefits for government employees with pensions from jobs where they didn't pay into Social Security. However, as a FERS postal employee, you DID pay into Social Security during your USPS employment, so WEP might not apply to your situation the same way it would for CSRS employees. The law is still being implemented, so details are emerging, but it's designed to help people exactly in your mixed-employment situation. I'd recommend contacting SSA directly to get a personalized calculation based on your specific work history.

The FAIR Act is SUPPOSED to fix the WEP/GPO problem but its all still confusing!!! I worked for Post Office too (but under older CSRS system not FERS like you) and I've been trying to figure this out too. SSA website hasn't updated all the info yet and my last estimated benefit statement didnt show ANY changes. Have you checked your SS account online lately? Does it show different numbers now?

My brother-in-law was postal worker too and he had similar question. He said the new bill helps but they're rolling it out slow. Something about different phases?

There's a lot of confusion about the FAIR Act implementation. To clarify: The FAIR Act primarily addresses the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) that affect government employees who receive pensions from work not covered by Social Security. For FERS postal employees like yourself, the situation is different from CSRS employees. Under FERS, you paid into both FERS AND Social Security during your postal career. Your 13 years at USPS count as both federal service for your FERS pension AND as Social Security covered employment. The key question is whether you have 30+ years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security. With your 13 USPS years plus 22 other years, you should have 35 years total of Social Security coverage, which would exempt you from WEP regardless of the FAIR Act. I'd recommend: 1. Request a detailed earnings record from SSA to verify all years count as "substantial earnings" 2. Ask for a WEP calculation specifically based on your situation 3. Get an updated benefit estimate that considers the recent legislation The implementation timeline is indeed phased, with full changes taking effect over the next 1-2 years.

I've spent MONTHS trying to get accurate info from SSA about my similar situation with WEP and the FAIR Act changes. Calling SSA is nightmare - hours on hold only to get disconnected! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with explained that FERS postal employees are in a unique situation because you contributed to both systems. The FAIR Act will help many government employees, but you might actually be exempt from WEP already if most of your years qualify as "substantial earnings" under Social Security (which changes yearly - in 2025 it's around $31,275).

im retired postal worker (24 yrs service) and the fair act is helping me! my ss benefit is going up by almost 500 a month when fully phased in!!! but not sure if 13 years is enough to qualify for full relief. might be partial. u need to check with ssa directly.

Everyone keeps talking about WEP but has anyone looked into whether the GPO (Government Pension Offset) part of the FAIR Act might apply here too? That's the one that affects spousal benefits, right? My neighbor worked for the post office and she lost ALL her widow benefits because of GPO when her husband passed. The whole system is so confusing!

my cousin said you need 20 years minimum to get help with the new law but im not sure if thats right

After researching this further, I can confirm that the FAIR Act's implementation for FERS postal employees varies based on total years of service and substantial earnings under Social Security. With 13 years of FERS service plus 22 years of other Social Security covered employment, you likely have enough quarters to either be exempt from WEP entirely or to qualify for substantial relief under the new law. The confusion about benefit estimates persists because the SSA systems are still being updated to reflect the new calculations. The most accurate approach right now is to speak directly with an SSA representative who can manually calculate your benefit using the new formulas. FERS employees are in a much better position than CSRS employees regarding these provisions because FERS employees paid into Social Security throughout their federal careers.

Has anybody actually received UPDATED benefit statements since the FAIR Act passed??? Mine still shows the old numbers and I'm wondering if they're just being slow updating everything or if I need to request a recalculation!!!!

Just wanted to update - I finally got through to SSA (used that Claimyr service again) and they confirmed that for FERS employees with mixed earnings history like yours, the FAIR Act may provide additional relief even if you're already partially protected from WEP. The representative explained that they're processing updates in batches, with priority given to those closest to retirement age. If you're planning to retire in 3 years, I'd recommend contacting them soon to ensure your estimates reflect the new calculation method.

As someone who's been following the FAIR Act implementation closely, I wanted to add that the SSA has been sending out notifications to affected beneficiaries in waves. Since you're FERS with 13 years postal service plus 22 years of other SS-covered work, you're likely in a good position. The key thing to remember is that FERS employees like yourself paid into Social Security during your postal years, unlike CSRS employees who didn't. This means your WEP reduction (if any) should be minimal compared to CSRS retirees. The FAIR Act is designed to help people in exactly your situation - those with mixed careers who've been unfairly penalized. I'd suggest creating a my Social Security account online if you haven't already, as they're rolling out updated benefit estimates there first before sending paper statements. Also, when you do contact SSA, ask specifically about the "substantial earnings" threshold for each of your working years - this is crucial for determining your WEP exemption status.

I'm a retired federal employee (non-postal) who went through something similar with WEP calculations. One thing that helped me was getting my complete Social Security earnings record (Form SSA-7050) which shows year-by-year earnings and whether each year meets the "substantial earnings" threshold. For 2025, substantial earnings is $31,275, but it was lower in previous years. Since you have 13 years USPS + 22 other years = 35 total years of SS coverage, you should be well above the 30-year threshold that exempts you from WEP entirely. The FAIR Act is really more beneficial for people with fewer years of substantial earnings. I'd recommend requesting that detailed earnings record first before calling SSA - it'll give you concrete numbers to discuss with them and help you understand exactly where you stand. Also, don't forget that your FERS annuity is completely separate from Social Security, so the FAIR Act changes won't affect that pension at all.

I'm in a very similar situation - FERS postal employee with about 15 years service plus other SS-covered work. From what I've learned researching this, you're actually in a pretty good position! Since you have 35 total years of Social Security coverage (13 USPS + 22 other), you should be exempt from WEP entirely if most of those years meet the "substantial earnings" threshold. The FAIR Act is great news for government retirees, but for FERS employees like us who paid into both systems, we were already somewhat protected compared to CSRS employees. I'd definitely recommend getting that Form SSA-7050 that Oscar mentioned above - it'll show you exactly which years count as "substantial earnings" and confirm your WEP exemption status. The online my Social Security account is also being updated with new calculations faster than the paper statements, so check there first. Given that you're planning to retire in 3 years, getting this sorted out now will really help with your retirement planning!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who recently went through this process! I'm a FERS postal retiree with 16 years service plus other SS-covered work. After reading through all these great comments, I followed the advice about requesting Form SSA-7050 and checking my online Social Security account. It made a huge difference! Turns out I was already exempt from WEP because I had over 30 years of substantial earnings, but the FAIR Act still provided a small additional benefit adjustment. The key was having all my earnings documentation ready when I called SSA - it made the conversation much more productive. For anyone in a similar situation with FERS postal service, definitely start with that detailed earnings record. It'll show you exactly where you stand before you even call. The substantial earnings threshold changes every year (it's $31,275 for 2025), so some of your earlier working years might not have met the threshold even if you were working full-time. One thing I learned is that the online account really is being updated faster than paper statements - mine showed the updated calculation about 6 weeks before I got anything in the mail. Good luck with your retirement planning!

I'm new to this community but have been following this thread with great interest as I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I worked for the postal service for 11 years under FERS (2009-2020) and have about 18 years of other Social Security-covered employment. Reading through all these detailed responses has been incredibly educational! Based on what everyone has shared, it sounds like my situation might be a bit different since I have 29 total years of SS coverage (just under that 30-year threshold for automatic WEP exemption). The FAIR Act could potentially be more beneficial for me than for those who already have 30+ years. I'm particularly grateful for the specific actionable advice about Form SSA-7050 and checking the online Social Security account first. Like many others here, I've been frustrated trying to get through to SSA by phone, so having a clear plan of what documentation to gather first seems like the smart approach. One question for those who have successfully navigated this process: For someone just under the 30-year threshold like me, should I focus more on understanding how the FAIR Act's new WEP calculation formula will help, or is there still a chance some of my years might qualify as "substantial earnings" that I'm not accounting for correctly? Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences - this community has been more helpful than any official government resource I've found!

I just wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! As someone who's been struggling to understand how the FAIR Act affects my situation as a FERS postal employee with 13 years service, this thread has been more informative than anything I've found on official government websites. The step-by-step guidance about requesting Form SSA-7050 first, then checking the online Social Security account, and finally calling SSA with all documentation ready seems like the perfect roadmap. It's also reassuring to learn that FERS employees like myself who paid into both systems during our postal careers are generally in a better position than CSRS employees. I'm especially grateful for the clarification about the 30-year substantial earnings threshold for WEP exemption. With my 13 USPS years plus 22 other years of SS-covered work, it sounds like I should be well above that threshold, assuming most years meet the substantial earnings amount for their respective years. I'll definitely follow the advice shared here and start with getting my complete earnings record before contacting SSA. It's encouraging to hear from people who have successfully navigated this process recently. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!