Social Security WEP reform effect on firefighter widow receiving pension and SS benefits

Your mother's situation involves the Government Pension Offset (GPO), not the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). They're often confused. WEP affects people who earned a pension from work where they didn't pay Social Security taxes AND have their own SS benefits. GPO affects how much someone can receive in SS spouse/widow benefits when they have a government pension from non-covered work. The new legislation (Social Security Fairness Act) would eliminate both WEP and GPO if passed, but it's still being debated in Congress. If it passes, your mother might be able to collect her full widow's benefit without the GPO reduction, which could increase her total income.

My dad was also a firefighter & my mom is in a similar boat. From what I understand, if this new law passes she might be able to get BOTH her full widow's benefit AND the pension without reduction. But don't get too excited - Congress has been trying to pass versions of this for years with no success. My mom's been waiting forever and I'm not holding my breath. Did your mom have to provide SS with dad's pension information when she applied for benefits?

the gpo is TERRIBLE and unfair!!!! my husband worked for county highway dept 40 YRS and I get almost NOTHING from his SS even tho he paid in his whole life before that job!!!!! they take 2/3 of his pension from what i would get. this law better pass this time or im writing my congressman AGAIN

To clarify the current status - the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) has bipartisan support but hasn't been passed yet. SSA is NOT sending letters about it because it's not law. If your mother's own Social Security benefit is $1,950/month and she's receiving it instead of a widow's benefit, that means her widow's benefit after GPO reduction would be less than $1,950. If GPO were eliminated, she might receive the full widow's benefit (likely around 100% of your father's full benefit amount) PLUS continue receiving the firefighter pension without reduction. This could potentially increase her monthly income by hundreds of dollars, depending on what your father's Social Security benefit would have been. However, until/unless the law passes, there's no change to her current situation.

my wifes in the same boat. she gets my pension from teaching but can barely get anything from her own ss even though she worked and paid in for 20 years. its highway robbery what they do to us public servants

I had SO much trouble getting answers from Social Security about my similar situation with my late husband's firefighter pension. I kept getting disconnected when calling SSA and waited 3 months for an appointment! Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a live person at Social Security in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with explained that if the new law passes, I might be eligible for both my full widow's benefit and my pension without reduction. Definitely worth calling to understand how your mom's specific situation would be affected.

So does anyone know when this law is actually gonna pass? My aunt's been talking about it for like 2 years and nothing ever happens lol

I CALLED my congressman's office last week and they said its one of there TOP priorities but who knows what that really means????? they always say that. has ur mom applied for any other benefits? sometimes local senior centers have emergency funds for utility bills and stuff like that might help while were all waiting for congress to DO THEIR JOBS!!!!

One final note: Even if the GPO/WEP repeal passes, implementation might take time. SSA would need to recalculate millions of benefits, so your mother might not see changes immediately. Make sure she keeps all documentation related to both her own work history and your father's pension. Also, have her create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if she hasn't already - that's where she'd see updates about her benefits if any changes occur.

As someone new to understanding these Social Security rules, this thread has been incredibly helpful! My grandmother is in a similar situation - she's a retired teacher receiving a pension and has been affected by WEP reductions on her own Social Security benefits. I had no idea there were two different provisions (WEP and GPO) that could affect people differently. It sounds like for widows like Luca's mom, the GPO is the main concern, while for people like my grandmother who worked in jobs that didn't pay into Social Security, it's the WEP that reduces their own benefits. Does anyone know if there are other resources besides calling Social Security directly to get personalized estimates of how the proposed changes might affect someone's specific situation? My grandmother is 78 and really struggles with phone calls, so I'd love to help her figure out what these potential changes could mean for her monthly income.

Thank you all for this detailed discussion! I'm new to understanding these Social Security provisions and this has been so educational. I work with seniors through a local community organization and I'm constantly hearing confusion about WEP vs GPO - this thread really clarifies the differences. One thing I wanted to add for anyone in similar situations: if you're helping an elderly parent or relative navigate this, consider reaching out to your local Area Agency on Aging. Many of them have benefits counselors who specialize in Social Security issues and can provide free one-on-one assistance. They're often more patient than busy SSA offices and can help walk through all the "what if" scenarios if the legislation passes. Also, for those whose family members are struggling financially while waiting for potential changes, don't forget about programs like SNAP (food assistance), LIHEAP (utility assistance), and state pharmaceutical assistance programs. Many seniors who qualify don't realize these programs exist or think their income is "too high" when it actually isn't. Keeping my fingers crossed that this legislation finally makes it through - these provisions really do create unfair hardships for people who dedicated their careers to public service.