How to calculate my Social Security benefits before WEP reduction is applied?

You can actually calculate this yourself. The benefit amount shown on your Social Security Statement is your WEP-reduced amount. To find your pre-WEP amount, you need to know your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) and then apply the regular PIA formula instead of the modified WEP formula. The regular PIA formula for 2025 is: - 90% of first $1,275 of AIME - 32% of AIME between $1,275 and $7,696 - 15% of AIME over $7,696 The WEP formula reduces that first percentage from 90% down to as low as 40% depending on your years of substantial earnings under Social Security.

Your Social Security statement doesn't show the pre-WEP amount, and that's been super frustrating for me too! I'm also a teacher affected by WEP. I finally got the pre-WEP number by calling SSA directly and asking. The rep was able to tell me both figures. It took 3 tries to get someone who understood what I was asking though...

you can ask for whats called ur 'non-WEP PIA' when u talk to them. thats the magic words. also the reduction depends on how many years of 'substantial earnings' u have under social security. with 18 years ur probably not getting the full whack of the reduction.

To get the most accurate information, you'll need to speak with an SSA representative who can access your complete earnings record. The WEP reduction is calculated based on your years of substantial earnings under Social Security. With 18 years, you won't face the maximum WEP reduction. The WEP reduction decreases by 5% for each year of substantial earnings over 20 years. With 18 years, you'll have the 90% factor in the regular formula reduced to 50% (not the minimum 40%). To calculate the exact difference, you would: 1. Calculate your PIA with the regular formula (90/32/15 percentages) 2. Calculate your PIA with the WEP formula (50/32/15 percentages) 3. The difference is your WEP reduction Your AIME isn't directly shown on statements, but a knowledgeable SSA representative can provide this information.

My husband went through this last year. The difference between his regular benefit and WEP-reduced benefit was about $450/month! It's really unfair how they penalize people who worked multiple careers. Good luck getting through on the phone though - it's nearly impossible these days.

After struggling with the same issue last month, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a Social Security agent in under 10 minutes. I was shocked because I'd been trying for weeks on my own. They connected me directly to SSA and I was able to ask about my non-WEP PIA calculation. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU to see how it works. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to try it. Honestly saved me hours of frustration.

THE WEP IS ROBBERY!!! I worked 22 years paying into SS and then 15 as a county employee with pension and they STOLE almost $600/month from my rightful benefits that I EARNED!!! There's a bill in Congress to reform this unfair penalty but they never pass it. CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES!!

To add to my earlier comment, once you know your exact AIME, you can do the calculation yourself using both formulas. For 2025, with 18 years of substantial earnings, your WEP reduction factor would be 50% instead of the full 90%. So if your AIME is $3,000, for example: Regular formula: (90% × $1,275) + (32% × $1,725) = $1,147.50 + $552 = $1,699.50 WEP formula: (50% × $1,275) + (32% × $1,725) = $637.50 + $552 = $1,189.50 WEP reduction = $510 per month This is just an example - your actual AIME will determine your specific amounts.

btw if u can get 2 more years of SS covered work somehow before u retire, ull hit 20 yrs of substantial earnings and get a better wep calculation. might be worth looking into part time work that pays into SS?

I'm in almost the exact same situation as you - Texas teacher with previous Social Security work history! One thing that helped me was creating a my Social Security account online if you haven't already. While it won't show your pre-WEP amount, you can at least see all your earnings history year by year, which helps when you're talking to SSA reps. Also, I'd suggest calling SSA early in the morning (around 8 AM) on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday - I've had better luck getting through then. When you do get through, ask specifically for your "Primary Insurance Amount before WEP adjustment" and your AIME. Having both numbers will let you verify their calculations and really understand the impact. The good news is that with 18 years of substantial earnings, you're not facing the maximum WEP reduction. But I totally get wanting to know the exact numbers for planning purposes. The uncertainty is almost worse than knowing the bad news!