Social Security GPO/WEP repeal impact on my husband's mixed state/SS work history benefits?

The GPO/WEP repeal legislation is still not guaranteed to pass, but IF it does go through, here's how it would likely affect you: 1. Your husband would get his full SS benefit without the WEP reduction that currently penalizes people with split careers 2. He could potentially qualify for spousal benefits from your record without the GPO reduction 3. His state pension would remain unchanged, but would no longer impact his Social Security benefits The key thing to understand is that the repeal would essentially treat your husband like any other Social Security beneficiary, regardless of his state pension. This means both his own benefit would increase (no WEP) and he could get more from your record (no GPO). I went through a similar situation with my wife's benefits last year. The calculations can get complicated because it depends on his earnings history, when he worked those 12 SS-covered years, and how much he would qualify for from your record. If you want to get specific numbers, I'd recommend calling SSA again and asking specifically about WEP/GPO calculations for your situation.

my hubby was in almost exact same boat!! 14 yrs SS paying work then teacher for 22 yrs. we got totally screwed by those unfair laws when we retired in 2021... his SS check was cut by like 55%!!! and couldn't get a dime from my record even tho I earned way more. super unfair system if u ask me!!! if they repeal those laws maybe we can finally get whats owed to us

Just to clarify one thing - with or without GPO/WEP, your husband wouldn't actually get BOTH his full benefit AND a full spousal benefit. If the repeal passes, he would get his own full benefit without WEP reduction, PLUS potentially a spousal top-up if 50% of your benefit is higher than his own benefit (the difference between the two). It's not two separate full payments. When you say "huge reduction" - yes, WEP can reduce his own benefit by up to $512/month in 2025, though the exact amount depends on his specific earnings history and years of substantial SS earnings.

DONT GET YOUR HOPES UP!!! they been promising to repeal GPO/WEP for DECADES and nothing ever happens!! I waited for 15 years after retiring from county job and congress keeps putting it off. They talk big game to get votes from gov workers but never follow through. My advice is plan like it won't happen and be surprised if it does.

Your calculations look correct - if the repeal passes, based on the numbers you shared, your husband would get his unreduced benefit of $1,400 plus the $200 difference from your record (since half of yours is $1,600). That would be a $650 monthly increase from his current reduced benefit of $950. One thing to keep in mind is that any legislation could include phase-in periods or other limitations. For example, some proposals have included 10-year phase-ins for full implementation. Also, regarding your state pension - the years he worked in state government will have no impact on his Social Security benefit if WEP is repealed. The state pension would continue separately as always. Have you tried getting an appointment at your local SSA office to run the numbers specifically for your situation? They should be able to tell you exactly what his benefit would be with and without WEP/GPO.

I've been dealing with this exact issue for clients of mine (I'm a retirement planner). One option that might help you right now is using Claimyr to get through to SSA by phone. I had a client use it last week to discuss a similar WEP situation and they connected with an agent in under 20 minutes. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and you can find it at claimyr.com. Given the complexity of your situation with mixed work history and pending legislation, talking to an actual SSA rep who can access your records would be most helpful. Regarding the legislation itself - the most recent versions I've seen would indeed eliminate both WEP and GPO entirely, which means your husband would get his full earned SS benefit plus potentially a spousal supplement if half your PIA exceeds his own. Most proposals have included some form of phase-in period though.

I have a dumb question maybe but how do you know what your husband's FULL benefit would be without WEP? My husband also has a mixed work history (11 years private, 19 years federal) and his SS statement just shows the WEP-reduced amount. Is there a way to calculate what it would be if WEP didn't exist?

From what I'v heard, the new law probably won't be retroactive, so those of us already getting reduced benefits are probably still screwed!!! Classic government, changing rules but not helping people already hurt by the old rules. Been dealing with this garbage for 7 years now and trust me, they don't care about us.

Just to provide a bit more clarity on the technical side: Under current law, the WEP reduction is capped at no more than 50% of your husband's non-covered pension (his state pension). So sometimes the actual reduction is less than the maximum WEP amount I mentioned earlier. Also, remember that for GPO, the current reduction is 2/3 of his government pension amount. So when calculating potential benefits after a repeal, you'd need to add back that reduction to see the full impact. One other point - while many commenters are skeptical about legislative action, there has been more bipartisan support recently due to teacher and first responder advocacy groups pushing hard for these changes. The proposed Social Security Fairness Act has gained significant traction in the current session.

my friend's husband was in same situation exact situation and they got so confused they hired a financial advisor just to figure out all this GPO/WEP stuff!!! cost them $500 but they said it was worth it just to understand what they'd actually get. might be worth considering if you can afford it