Recent WEP reform changes - can I refund SS and refile for higher payment after PERS pension reduction?

You're talking about the Reform WEP Act that got passed in April this year. It changes how WEP reductions are calculated for people with mixed earnings histories like yours. The new formula is more proportional based on your actual career earnings pattern rather than the old arbitrary formula. Yes, you can withdraw your SS application within 12 months of filing! Form SSA-521 is what you need. You'll have to repay any benefits you've already received, but then you can reapply under the new rules. Based on what you described, you might see a significant increase compared to the old WEP reduction. I did this exact thing for a client last month (I'm a retirement planner). They had a small state pension and got hit with a $480 monthly WEP reduction. After withdrawing and refiling under the new formula, their reduction was only about $215 monthly. That's an extra $3,180 a year for life!

Are you sure about this??? I thought the WEP reform didn't pass yet!! I'm in a similar situation with my teachers pension and SS is cutting my benefit by almost $600/month. I would LOVE if this was true but I haven't seen anything about it on the news.

This happened to my husband with his firefighter pension last year. The WEP reduction was brutal!

If you're having trouble getting through to SSA on the phone (which is extremely common these days), I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It's a service that navigates the SSA phone system for you and calls you back when they have an agent on the line. Saved me literally days of hold time when I was dealing with my own WEP recalculation issues. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When you talk to SSA, make sure you specifically mention the Reform WEP Act and that you want to withdraw your application (Form SSA-521) to reapply under the new calculation method. Some agents aren't fully up to speed on the new regulations yet.

I work for the state retirement system (not SSA) but have some experience with WEP issues. Here's what you need to know about the Reform WEP Act: 1. It replaced the arbitrary WEP reduction formula with a proportional formula based on your lifetime earnings ratio between covered and non-covered employment 2. The maximum reduction is now capped at 50% of your non-covered pension amount (rather than the old arbitrary formula that could reduce benefits by up to 50% of the first bend point regardless of pension size) 3. There's a new graduated scale for years of substantial earnings that provides partial relief at 25+ years instead of the all-or-nothing 30-year threshold For someone with many years of mixed employment including seasonal work, you'll likely benefit significantly from the new formula. The withdrawal and refiling strategy is valid, but be aware you'll need to repay all benefits received so far.

My sister-in-law had her SS reduced because of WEP too and she was FURIOUS. She worked as a school secretary for 18 years and then in retail for 15 years but her SSA benefit got slashed by like $400 a month! It's so unfair how they punish people who worked in public service!!!

The WEP is so confusing! I tried reading about it on the SSA website but I got totally lost in all the technical jargon. Does anyone know if this affects people who already retired years ago? My dad retired in 2018 with both SS and a small county pension, and I wonder if he could benefit from these changes too???

Update: I called my local SSA office this morning and finally got through! The representative confirmed the WEP formula has changed and I can withdraw my application. She's sending me the SSA-521 form today. She couldn't tell me exactly how much more I'll get under the new formula, but indicated it would be "substantially more favorable" in my case since I have 29 years of mixed earnings. I'll post another update once I know the exact numbers. THANK YOU all for your help!!!