How to find my pre-WEP Social Security benefit amount on the SSA website?
I just got my first Social Security check and realized my benefit was reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). I understand why this happened (I have a pension from teaching where I didn't pay into Social Security), but I'm curious - is there anywhere on the SSA website where I can see what my original benefit amount would have been BEFORE the WEP reduction was applied? I checked my online account but only see the reduced amount. Would be nice to know exactly how much the WEP is costing me each month. Has anyone figured out how to find this info?
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Dmitry Petrov
Yes, you can! Log into your my Social Security account, go to "Message Center" and look for "Benefit Verification Letter" or sometimes called "Benefits Letter." Download that letter and it should show your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) before any reductions. Then the letter will also show your WEP-adjusted amount. The difference is your WEP reduction. I had the same issue with my pension from federal employment. Hope that helps!
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Thank you! I'll check the Benefit Verification Letter. I looked everywhere else but didn't think to check there.
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StarSurfer
The SSA website is AWFUL about showing WEP info!!! I've been dealing with this for 3 years and still can't easily find my pre-WEP amount online. I had to CALL them and wait 2+ hours just to get someone to tell me. They should make this clearer for those of us with government pensions. So frustrating!!
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Ava Martinez
•my dad has same issue, he worked 4 state govt and they never explain it clearly. his friend got less wep penalty cuz he had more years paying into ss
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Miguel Castro
When I needed to see this information, I couldn't find it easily on the website either. The most reliable method I found was requesting a PEBES (Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement) by completing Form SSA-7004. This statement shows your full benefit calculation before any WEP reduction is applied. Alternatively, if you received any pre-retirement benefit estimates from SSA (before they knew about your pension), those would show your non-WEP reduced amount. The WEP reduction is capped at $534 in 2025 for most people, but can be less if you have 21+ years of substantial earnings under Social Security.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Thanks for this detailed info! I didn't know about the Form SSA-7004 option. I do have 22 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, so I'm thinking my WEP reduction might be less than maximum. Really want to see the exact numbers.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
The My Social Security dashboard sometimes shows this info if you click on "Benefit Details" and then look for a section about WEP. But honestly the website is confusing. I got frustrated trying to find mine too.
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Connor Byrne
•If you're having trouble reaching SSA by phone to get this information, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was trying to find my pre-WEP amount for weeks and couldn't get through on the phone. Used their service and got connected to a representative in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The representative I spoke with was able to tell me both my original benefit amount and the reduced amount after WEP.
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Yara Elias
When I called about this same question, the SSA rep told me that my unreduced PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) was $2,875 and after WEP it became $2,403. That's about a $472 reduction for me. But they wouldn't tell me the exact formula they used - just said it depends on years of substantial earnings and my pension amount.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Wow, that's quite a reduction! Mine seems to be around $350 less than what I was expecting based on estimates I got years ago, but I really want to see the exact calculation. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Miguel Castro
To add a bit more technical detail: The WEP modifies the standard 90% factor in the first bend point of the PIA calculation formula, potentially reducing it to as low as 40% depending on your years of substantial earnings. For each year of substantial earnings over 20, the factor increases by 5%. With 22 years, your factor would be 50% instead of 40%, which means you're not facing the maximum WEP reduction. The SSA doesn't make this very transparent online, but if you request a detailed benefit calculation through a claims representative, they can provide a breakdown showing both the standard formula result and the WEP-adjusted amount.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•This is incredibly helpful, thanks! The bend points and percentages make more sense now. I'll definitely request that detailed calculation so I can understand exactly how they arrived at my amount.
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Ava Martinez
my mom just prints all the papers they mail her, says its easier than the website lol. check your mail maybe they sent you the calculation?
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Good point! I've been trying to go paperless with everything, but maybe I should check if they mailed me more detailed information than what shows up online.
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Dmitry Petrov
I just checked my own account to verify - if you go to the Benefits Verification Letter in your Message Center, it should show your monthly benefit amount after WEP. Then you need to call SSA to ask for your pre-WEP amount, as I don't see it displayed clearly anywhere on the site. Also, if you haven't already, check if you qualify for the WEP guarantee provision - in some cases, your WEP reduction cannot exceed 50% of your non-covered pension amount.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Thanks for checking your own account! I don't think I've heard of the WEP guarantee provision before - that's another thing for me to look into. I appreciate everyone's help with this confusing topic!
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