Social Security sending WEP adjustment letters? Heard 2024 retroactive payments coming

My husband and I have been following this WEP reform situation CLOSELY! Yes, there were changes but as far as I know they haven't actually been implemented yet??? The SSA is probably waiting til after the election to do anything 🙄 We've been getting penalized for 7 years because of my husband's state government job. The whole system is RIGGED against public servants!!

My cousin got some letter about his benefits changing but I think it was just the regular COLA increase. I didn't think anything changed with WEP yet. Don't they usually announce big changes like that on the news?

To clarify what's happening with WEP: There are currently two main bills that have been proposed but NOT yet passed: 1. The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) which would completely repeal WEP 2. The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act (H.R. 2337) which would modify WEP with a new formula Neither has been enacted into law yet. The confusion might be coming from increased momentum these bills have gained recently, but until legislation passes and is signed into law, SSA won't be making any adjustments or sending letters about WEP changes. If you need to speak with SSA directly about your current WEP reduction, I'd recommend trying early in the morning (right when they open) or using the online services through my.ssa.gov if possible.

I went through something similar trying to reach SSA about my disability review last month. After 3 days of constant busy signals, I finally used Claimyr.com to get through. It got me past the busy signals and connected with an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with confirmed there haven't been any WEP changes implemented yet, despite all the proposals in Congress. I'm also affected by WEP because of my county job, so I've been watching this closely.

my neighbor just retired from teaching and she got hit with WEP too. its ridiculous how they punish people who worked multiple jobs. i think they should just give everyone what they earned!

For anyone affected by WEP, here's what you need to know: 1. No changes have been enacted yet, despite several proposed bills 2. If/when changes are made, SSA will notify affected beneficiaries 3. Any retroactive adjustments would be specified in the legislation 4. The current WEP reduction is capped at 50% of your non-covered pension If you believe your WEP reduction was calculated incorrectly (which happens), you can request a recalculation. You'll need to provide your complete earnings history both for covered employment (where you paid SS taxes) and non-covered employment (where you didn't). The substantial earnings test is important too - if you have 30+ years of substantial earnings under Social Security, you're exempt from WEP entirely. For 2025, "substantial earnings" means $30,975 or more.

Has anyone noticed how WEP affects spouses differently?? My husband's benefit got cut but when I applied for spousal benefits they told me I'm subject to Government Pension Offset (GPO) which is EVEN WORSE! They reduce spousal benefits by TWO-THIRDS of your non-covered pension! These rules are SO confusing and the SSA people sometimes don't even understand them correctly!!!

You're right to distinguish between WEP and GPO - they're often confused: - WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) affects your own Social Security benefits if you receive a pension from work where you didn't pay SS taxes - GPO (Government Pension Offset) affects spousal or survivor benefits if you receive a pension from work where you didn't pay SS taxes And yes, GPO is generally more impactful since it reduces spousal/survivor benefits by 2/3 of your non-covered pension amount. As for the original question - if and when any WEP reform passes, SSA will absolutely send notification letters to affected beneficiaries. They're legally required to inform you of benefit changes. And yes, they would handle any retroactive adjustments automatically.

Thanks everyone for clearing this up. Sounds like my brother-in-law might have been confused or maybe just hopeful about WEP reform. I'll keep an eye on those bills in Congress. The worst part for me is how complicated these calculations are. I worked my whole life, paid into the system for 22 years, and then find out I'm penalized because my fire department job had its own pension system. I understand preventing "double-dipping" but the current formula seems unfair to those of us in the middle who worked both types of jobs.