Questions about spousal Social Security benefits with FERS pension and GPO impact - when should I apply?
Hi everyone, I'm struggling with the timing for applying for Social Security spousal benefits. I'm 69 and receive a FERS pension after 28 years of federal service. I only have about 32 Social Security credits on my own record, so not enough for benefits. My husband started collecting his Social Security at age 70 (he's now 74). I've held off applying for spousal benefits because of the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which I know will reduce whatever I might get. I'm trying to figure out two things: 1) Will my spousal benefit be based on MY age when I apply, or my husband's age when HE applied? 2) If I apply now, will I be able to get any retroactive benefits, and if so, how far back? Someone told me it might be 6 months, but I'm not sure. Has anyone dealt with this specific situation? I'm trying to determine if there's any advantage to waiting longer or if I should just apply now. Thanks!
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Liv Park
The spousal benefit will be based on your age when you apply, not your husband's age when he applied. And yes, you're correct about the retroactive payment - SSA will only go back 6 months from your application date, not any further. With the GPO, they'll reduce your spousal benefit by 2/3 of your FERS pension amount. Have you run the numbers to see if you'll even receive anything after the GPO reduction? Many federal retirees find their entire spousal benefit is wiped out by the GPO calculation.
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Charlee Coleman
•Thank you! I did some rough calculations, and I think I might get a small amount. My monthly FERS pension is about $3,150, so 2/3 of that is $2,100. My husband's PIA is around $3,200, so my spousal benefit before the GPO would be $1,600 (half of his PIA). After the GPO reduction, that would leave me with... oh, looks like I'd only get about $500. Is that worth applying for?
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Leeann Blackstein
my sister had the same problem. she waited to long and lost out on a LOT of money!!! dont make the same mistake. the GPO is so unfair to government workers but at least get what your entitled to now. better late than never right??
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Ryder Greene
•The GPO isn't unfair - it's actually correcting an unfairness. Without GPO, government employees with pensions would get an advantage over other workers. The whole point is that Social Security spousal benefits were designed for spouses who didn't work outside the home. People with their own pensions already have retirement income that Social Security was meant to replace. But I do agree that applying sooner rather than later makes sense if there will be any benefit left after the GPO reduction.
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Carmella Fromis
I WENT THROUGH THIS EXACT NIGHTMARE LAST YEAR! The SSA employees gave me THREE different answers about how GPO would affect my spousal benefits. One told me I'd get nothing, another calculated $450/month, and a third gave me some complicated formula that made no sense. When I finally got my determination letter, it was completely different from ANY of their calculations! The whole system is designed to confuse us and deny us what we've earned after decades of public service. Good luck getting actual help from their so-called "experts" who don't even understand their own rules.
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Charlee Coleman
•Oh no, that sounds frustrating! Did you eventually get it sorted out? How long did the whole process take from application to receiving benefits?
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Carmella Fromis
It took SEVEN MONTHS from application to first payment! And I spent dozens of hours on the phone trying to reach someone who knew what they were talking about. I finally got $380/month after the GPO reduction, which is better than nothing I guess, but the process was horrible.
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Theodore Nelson
•I had a similar experience trying to get through to someone at SSA who could actually explain the GPO calculations correctly. After weeks of trying to get through on their 800 number, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to finally talk to someone who could help with my specific situation. The agent I spoke with actually specialized in GPO cases and gave me the correct information right away.
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AaliyahAli
quick question - are you CSRS or FERS? you mentioned FERS in your post but the rules can be different depending on which retirement system you were in
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Charlee Coleman
•Sorry for the confusion! I'm actually under CSRS, not FERS. I started federal service in 1982 and retired in 2010. I know that makes the GPO impact even more significant since CSRS employees didn't pay into Social Security.
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Liv Park
Since you're CSRS (not FERS), that changes things significantly. With CSRS, the GPO will likely eliminate your entire spousal benefit because your pension is substantially higher than what you'd receive from Social Security as a spouse. The GPO reduction works by subtracting 2/3 of your CSRS pension from your potential spousal benefit. With a $3,150 monthly CSRS pension, the reduction would be about $2,100. Since the maximum spousal benefit you could receive (50% of your husband's benefit) is around $1,600 based on your numbers, the GPO would completely eliminate your spousal benefit. This is why many CSRS retirees don't bother applying for spousal benefits - after the GPO reduction, there's nothing left to receive. However, it still might be worth applying just to get an official determination from SSA.
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Charlee Coleman
•Thanks for clarifying. That's disappointing but what I suspected might happen. I guess there's no advantage to waiting any longer then, since I won't be getting anything regardless. I appreciate everyone's help with understanding this complicated system!
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Ellie Simpson
My wife had a similar situation with her teacher's pension (they have similar offset rules in many states). We applied anyway even though we thought she'd get zero after the offset. Surprisingly, she got about $120/month! Something to do with some substitute teaching she did in a district that DID pay into Social Security. So don't assume - just apply and let them figure it out!
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Leeann Blackstein
i stil think this is so unfair!!! you worked all those years serving the public and now you get PUNISHED for it. and they wonder why people don't trust the government!!!
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Ryder Greene
•Again, it's not punishment. CSRS employees didn't pay Social Security taxes on their government earnings, so they didn't contribute to the system. The offset prevents double-dipping. It's actually fair when you understand the purpose of the various benefits. What would be unfair is if someone who never contributed to Social Security through their primary job got the same spousal benefits as someone who worked their whole career in the private sector paying Social Security taxes. Different systems, different funding mechanisms.
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Charlee Coleman
I want to thank everyone for their insights. I'm going to go ahead and apply now, even though it looks like I might not get anything after the GPO reduction with my CSRS pension. At least I'll know for sure, and there's always the small chance there might be some special circumstance I'm not aware of that could result in a small benefit. Since there's no advantage to waiting longer, I might as well get an official determination.
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Liv Park
•That's the right approach. Also, while you're at it, make sure to check if you qualify for Medicare Part A without premiums. Even CSRS employees who don't qualify for Social Security benefits might still qualify for premium-free Part A if their spouse is eligible for Social Security. You should specifically ask about this when you contact SSA about your spousal benefits application.
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