Social Security WEP reduction eating 75% of my foreign pension - is the repeal going to help?
I'm beyond frustrated with how the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) is destroying the value of my foreign pension. I worked in Finland for 18 years contributing to their pension system, then moved to the US where I've been paying into Social Security for 22 years with substantial earnings. Here's my current nightmare: - Finnish monthly pension: $1,250 - Finnish tax takes: $215 - US state taxes take: $42 - WEP reduction to my US Social Security: $875 After all these deductions, I'm only seeing about $118 in actual benefit from my Finnish pension! That's less than 10% of what I earned. It's completely absurd that WEP is calculated on the GROSS amount of my foreign pension, not what I actually receive after taxes. I've had an appeal pending with SSA since February 2025 (almost 9 months now) disputing their WEP calculation. Despite calling repeatedly, I can't get any update on when they'll make a decision. I've heard there's movement on repealing WEP in Congress. Does anyone know if the proposed changes would help those of us with foreign pensions? Or is it only focused on government employees with US pensions? I'm desperate for any information on how a potential repeal might impact my situation.
16 comments
Join the conversation
Kiara Fisherman
The proposed Social Security 2100 Act would completely eliminate the WEP and GPO, which would be huge for people in your situation. But there's also the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act that would only provide partial relief - it would give you a new calculation method that could reduce the WEP penalty by about 1/3 for most people. Neither has been signed into law yet though. I had a similar situation with a German pension, but much less severe than yours. Have you looked into the "totalization agreement" between the US and Finland? Some foreign pension income is actually exempt from WEP if it falls under certain provisions of these agreements.
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•Thank you for this information. I wasn't aware there were two different bills being considered! Do you know which one has better chances of passing? A 1/3 reduction would be better than nothing, but full elimination would be life-changing. As for the totalization agreement - yes, I've looked into it. Unfortunately, since I have enough quarters of coverage in both systems to qualify for separate benefits (rather than needing to combine my work credits), the totalization provisions don't help me avoid WEP. It's so frustrating.
0 coins
Liam Cortez
i thnk its totally wrong what there doing to us!! my husband worked for county government for 15 yrs and his pension gets the same WEP cut. he still paid in all those taxes but they take it away??? thats stealing our money that we earned!!
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•It absolutely feels like theft! We paid into these systems in good faith, met all the requirements, and then they take 75% away through this obscure provision most people never even hear about until it hits them at retirement.
0 coins
Savannah Vin
The WEP situation is definitely frustrating, but there are a few important technical points to understand: 1. The maximum WEP reduction for 2025 is $600 per month if you have 20+ years of substantial US earnings. If they're taking $875, you may want to verify that calculation. 2. With 20 years of substantial US earnings, your WEP penalty should already be reduced by 50% from the maximum potential reduction. At 30+ years of substantial earnings, WEP doesn't apply at all. 3. For the appeal process, you can request an "escalation" after 6 months. Call SSA and specifically ask to speak with a supervisor about your long-pending appeal, citing the 6+ month timeframe. Regarding the repeal efforts - yes, the current legislation would help those with foreign pensions. However, it's been in various forms of "almost passing" for years now, so I wouldn't count on it happening soon.
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•Thank you for these details. You're right about the maximum WEP reduction - I think I calculated it wrong. I'll double-check their math when I get my next statement. I didn't know about the escalation process for appeals! I'll definitely call and ask for a supervisor. It's been so frustrating trying to get through to anyone who can help.
0 coins
Mason Stone
I've been dealing with SSA for MONTHS trying to get my WEP situation fixed too!! I worked in Canada for 12 years and they are doing the same thing to me. Have you tried calling the International Benefits office directly instead of the regular SSA number? I finally got someone helpful there who actually understood the WEP rules. Also, I heard the bill to repeal WEP is stuck in committee again. They keep promising to fix it but nothing ever happens!! SO FRUSTRATING!!!
0 coins
Makayla Shoemaker
•The international office number is actually really helpful - I've used it before. Much shorter wait times too usually.
0 coins
Christian Bierman
I was in the same boat with my German pension getting decimated by WEP. I spent 2 months trying to call SSA about my appeal and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real person at SSA in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I reached was able to expedite my appeal and I got a decision within 3 weeks after that. Didn't change the WEP situation, but at least I got an answer instead of being stuck in limbo. As for the WEP repeal - I wouldn't hold my breath. They've been trying to pass it since at least 2019 from what I've read.
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•I've never heard of Claimyr before. I'll check out that link - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get through to SSA. The constant busy signals and disconnections are driving me crazy. And yeah, I'm not getting my hopes up about the repeal either. But even a small change would make a big difference in my monthly budget.
0 coins
Makayla Shoemaker
is anybody else confused by how they calculate this wep thing? i read thru the ssa website and still dont get how they decide how much to take away
0 coins
Savannah Vin
•It is confusing! The WEP essentially changes how your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is calculated. Instead of using the normal 90% factor for the first bend point in the AIME calculation, they reduce it to as low as 40% (for those with less than 20 years of substantial earnings). With 20 years of substantial earnings, that 40% gets increased by 5% for each year, so in the original poster's case, they should be using a 50% factor instead of 90% for that first portion of the calculation. This results in a lower monthly benefit.
0 coins
Emma Olsen
Theres a Facebook group called "Social Security Fairness" with over 100k members fighting for WEP/GPO repeal. They post regular updates about the legislation and have form letters you can send to your representatives. Might be worth joining if you want to stay updated or get involved in advocacy efforts.
0 coins
Jason Brewer
•That's great to know - I'll definitely look up that group. I feel so isolated dealing with this issue since most Americans don't have foreign pensions and don't understand how WEP works. It would be nice to connect with others in the same boat.
0 coins
Liam Cortez
my neighbor said her congresman told her the wep repeal might be included in end of year budget stuff. has anyone else heard this??
0 coins
Mason Stone
•They say that EVERY YEAR and it never happens!! I've been watching this issue for 4 years now and they always say "oh it might be in the year-end package" but then it gets dropped at the last minute. I'll believe it when I see it signed into law.
0 coins