Does the new Social Security WEP reform bill apply to Railroad Retirement pensions?
Hi everyone, I've been trying to figure out if the new WEP reform legislation that just passed will help my situation. My husband worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 22 years and receives a Railroad Retirement pension. He also worked various other jobs for about 17 years where he paid into Social Security. When he applied for SS retirement benefits last year, they reduced his payment by almost $490/month because of WEP. I keep reading about the new WEP reform bill that was just signed, but I'm confused whether Railroad Retirement counts as a "non-covered pension" under this new law. Has anyone else dealt with this situation? Will this new legislation help people with railroad pensions too? We're really hoping his benefit amount will increase - any info would be appreciated!
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Zainab Omar
Yes, the new WEP reform legislation does apply to Railroad Retirement Tier 2 benefits, which are considered non-covered pensions for WEP purposes. The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers two benefit tiers - Tier 1 (equivalent to Social Security) and Tier 2 (additional pension). Since your husband has 17 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, the new bill might help him. The legislation creates a new, fairer formula that gives more credit for those years he paid into Social Security. The SSA will need to recalculate his benefit based on this new formula, but he shouldn't have to do anything - it should happen automatically over the next year as they implement the changes.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Thank you so much! That gives us some hope. Do you know when they'll start recalculating benefits? Will he get retroactive payments for the months he's already received reduced benefits?
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Connor Murphy
my brother worked for bnsf railway for 30+ years and also had some other jobs. when he applied for ss they cut his benefit by like $400 something too. from what I heard on the news the new bill helps people who got both kinds of pensions but idk the details
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Yara Sayegh
•I just wish they'd make this stuff clearer! My dad was in the same boat and we spent HOURS trying to figure out why his SS was so much lower than expected. No one at the local office even mentioned WEP until the third visit!
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NebulaNova
The WEP Reform Bill definitely applies to Railroad Retirement Tier 2 benefits. The law addresses all non-covered pensions, which includes RRB Tier 2, federal CSRS pensions, and many state/local government pensions. For your husband's situation, here's what to expect: 1) If he has at least 30 years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security, he could be completely exempt from WEP. 2) With 17 years, he'll benefit from the new proportional formula that gives more credit for those years. 3) The bill includes a guarantee that no one will receive less than they do under the current formula. 4) Implementation will take time - SSA has to recalculate millions of benefits. The changes should happen automatically, but it might be worth checking his my Social Security account periodically to see if there are any updates or notices.
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Miguel Ortiz
•This is incredibly helpful! I'll make sure to check his my Social Security account. Do you know if we'll need to contact SSA to make sure his case is reviewed, or will they automatically recalculate everyone affected by WEP?
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Keisha Williams
I've had TERRIBLE luck trying to get through to SS on the phone to ask about my WEP situation. Been calling for days and keep getting disconnected or told the wait time is over 2 hours!! Anyone know a better way to reach them? I need to know if my husband's federal pension will be affected by this new bill too.
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Paolo Conti
•I was having the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr. They hold your place in line with SSA and call you when an agent is ready. Saved me hours of frustration! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I used it last week to ask about my WEP recalculation and got through to a knowledgeable agent in about 30 minutes instead of waiting on hold for 3+ hours.
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Amina Diallo
THE WHOLE WEP SYSTEM IS A SCAM!!!! My father worked 40+ years, paid into SS for 25 of those years, then gets penalized because he ALSO had a pension from the state government? How is that fair?? They STOLE his benefits and call it a "windfall" - what windfall?? He EARNED both!! This new bill is just putting lipstick on a pig. They should eliminate WEP entirely!!
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Zainab Omar
•While I understand your frustration, there's a reason WEP exists. Social Security benefits have a weighted formula that gives lower-wage earners a higher percentage of their pre-retirement earnings. When someone works part of their career in non-covered employment, their SS earnings record looks artificially low, making them appear to be a lower earner than they really were. The new legislation actually makes the formula much fairer by proportionally crediting the actual years worked under Social Security. It's not perfect, but it's a significant improvement that will help millions of retirees affected by WEP.
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Yara Sayegh
Does anyone know when the changes will actually take effect? My mother is in a similar situation with a teacher's pension and reduced SS benefits.
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NebulaNova
•According to the legislation, SSA has until January 2027 to fully implement the changes, but they're supposed to begin making adjustments in 2026. The law requires them to identify and notify all affected beneficiaries. However, these timelines often slip due to the complexity of implementing such significant system changes. I'd recommend your mother create or check her my Social Security account regularly for any updates or notifications about her specific case. SSA will likely prioritize certain groups for recalculation, though they haven't announced that strategy yet.
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Connor Murphy
pensions are so confusing lol my dads getting social security and something from his old job but hes always complaining about wep reducing his benefits, maybe this will help him too
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Miguel Ortiz
•It's incredibly confusing! I'm trying to help my husband navigate this, and even after reading about the new law, I still have questions. I hope your dad sees some benefit from the changes too.
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Zainab Omar
One important detail for the original poster: make sure your husband's work record is fully accurate with Social Security. With the new legislation, every year of "substantial earnings" under Social Security could potentially increase his benefit under the new formula. If he had any years where earnings weren't properly reported or if he had multiple employers in a single year, it might be worth reviewing his earnings record in his my Social Security account to ensure everything is correct before the recalculations begin.
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Miguel Ortiz
•That's excellent advice! I'll help him check his earnings record. He did have a few years with multiple jobs, so I want to make sure everything is properly credited. Is there a time limit for correcting errors in the earnings record?
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