WEP repeal impact: Should I go back to non-SS teaching job or work somewhere with SS taxes to maximize benefits?
I'm in a weird spot with Social Security after the WEP repeal and need some guidance on maximizing my benefits. My work history is split between SS and non-SS employment. I worked enough in SS-covered jobs when I was younger to earn the required credits. Then I taught for many years in a district that didn't pay into Social Security (fell under Windfall Elimination Provision). I retired at 61 with a defined benefit pension of about $3,750/month. For the past few years, I've been working part-time making around $25,000 annually in a job that DOES pay into SS while collecting my pension. With the WEP repeal, I'll now be eligible for my full SS benefit instead of the reduced amount! But here's my dilemma - I have two potential opportunities: 1. Return to full-time teaching that DOESN'T pay into SS for 3 years. I'd "double-dip" (get pension + salary) without my pension being recalculated. Salary would be about $62,000. 2. Teach full-time for 3 years in a district that DOES pay into SS. Salary around $69,000, which would boost my future SS benefit. According to my calculations, my SS benefit at 65 would be about $713/month if I keep my part-time job. If I work full-time in an SS-covered position for 3 years, it might increase to around $1,001/month. Financially, I'm comfortable - no debt and almost $750,000 in savings (money market/CDs/IRAs). I enjoy semi-retirement but don't mind working a few more years if it makes financial sense long-term. Am I missing anything important in my decision-making process? Which option would you recommend?
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Omar Hassan
congrats on being in such a good financial position! i'd just keep doing the part time work if you enjoy it. why go back to full time teaching headaches when your already set?
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Freya Larsen
•Thanks for the response! The part-time work is definitely less stressful. I guess I'm wondering if the extra $288/month in SS benefits for the rest of my life would be worth 3 years of full-time work. It's like paying now for a lifetime annuity...
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Chloe Taylor
This is actually a complex calculation that depends on several factors: 1. Life expectancy - The longer you live, the more valuable that extra $288/month becomes 2. Opportunity cost - By taking the non-SS teaching job, you'd earn $62,000 × 3 = $186,000 that you could invest. If you invest that difference wisely, it might generate more than $288/month 3. Social Security COLA adjustments - Remember that SS benefits get annual cost-of-living adjustments, so that $288 difference will grow over time From a purely mathematical perspective, it would take about 54 months (4.5 years) of receiving the extra $288/month to equal the $15,480 difference in salary over 3 years (assuming the $7K/year difference between jobs). If you live well into your 70s and beyond, the higher SS benefit will eventually win out. If you have longevity in your family, that might be the better choice.
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Freya Larsen
•Thank you for breaking it down like this! I hadn't considered the COLA adjustments compounding over time. My parents both lived into their 90s, so longevity does run in the family. That 4.5 year break-even point is really helpful to visualize the trade-off.
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ShadowHunter
You should also consider how the Government Pension Offset (GPO) might affect you if you're married or were married for at least 10 years. While WEP affects your own benefits, GPO can reduce or eliminate any spousal or survivor benefits you might be entitled to from your spouse's record. The GPO typically reduces your spousal/survivor benefits by 2/3 of your government pension. Even with the WEP repeal discussions, I haven't seen similar movement on GPO. Another factor: those high-three years in SS-covered employment really can make a significant difference in your benefit calculation, especially if they replace years with zero or low earnings in your 35-year calculation period. Consider consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in federal benefits. This decision impacts not just the next 3 years but potentially decades of retirement.
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Freya Larsen
•The GPO is definitely a consideration - I'm divorced after a 12-year marriage, so I could potentially claim on my ex's record. I hadn't factored that into my calculations at all! I'll definitely look into a specialized financial advisor. This is getting more complicated than I initially thought.
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Diego Ramirez
My two cents - are you SURE the WEP was fully repealed?? Last I heard there were proposals but nothing final passed yet. Don't make decisions based on legislation that might not be final! I've been watching this for years and keep getting disappointed...
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Chloe Taylor
•You're absolutely right to question this. As of right now (2025), there have been multiple proposals to modify or repeal WEP, but no complete repeal has been passed and implemented. The Social Security Fairness Act has been introduced repeatedly in Congress but hasn't been enacted. There have been some proposed reforms that would modify how WEP is calculated, but not eliminate it entirely. OP should definitely confirm the current status of WEP before making any major decisions based on its repeal.
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Freya Larsen
•Oh no! I think I misunderstood something I read in the news about WEP reform. I need to double-check this immediately - thanks for the reality check. This completely changes my calculations if WEP is still in effect.
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Anastasia Sokolov
If you're already comfortably retired with a good pension and $750k saved, why go back to the stress of teaching full-time??? Life is short. If your part-time gig is enjoyable, keep that. Maybe find ways to maximize your investments instead. You're overthinking this when you're already set for life.
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Freya Larsen
•You make a valid point about quality of life. The part-time work is much less stressful than teaching full-time would be. I enjoy having more control over my schedule now. Perhaps I'm too focused on optimizing every last dollar rather than enjoying my semi-retirement.
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Sean O'Connor
Have you considered how much your SS benefit has already increased from your part-time work? When I was trying to get answers about my situation with SS, I kept getting disconnected when calling SSA, then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. The agent explained that even part-time work in your 60s can significantly boost your benefit calculation. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) before trying it and it worked exactly as promised. The SSA agent I spoke with calculated different scenarios for me, including how continuing part-time work would affect my benefit amount. You might want to get exact figures before making such a big decision.
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Freya Larsen
•I'll check out that Claimyr service - thanks! I've been using the online calculator but would feel better getting official numbers from an SSA agent. I've tried calling a few times but always gave up after being on hold forever. Getting concrete numbers for all my options would really help with this decision.
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Zara Ahmed
Have u thought about just enjoying life?? My dad went back to full time work after retiring and REGRETTED it so much!! He always said he wished he'd just traveled and spent time with family instead of chasing more $$$. Just something to think about.
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Freya Larsen
•That's a sobering perspective - thank you for sharing about your dad's experience. It's easy to get caught up in the financial optimization and forget about the bigger picture. I do have grandkids I could be spending more time with instead of going back to the classroom full-time...
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Omar Hassan
i think ur overthinking this. If u go back to a non-SS job and double dip for 3 years u could invest ALL that extra money and probably make way more than the $288 extra SS ur calculating. Plus don't forget ur gonna pay taxes on that higher SS too so it's not even fully $288 in ur pocket each month
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Freya Larsen
•Good point about the taxes! I hadn't factored that in at all. You're right that I could potentially invest a large chunk of the salary from the non-SS job and potentially generate more than the SS increase would provide. That's another mark in favor of option #1.
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ShadowHunter
One more important consideration: Remember that Social Security benefits are calculated based on your highest 35 years of indexed earnings. If you don't have 35 years of SS-covered employment, the formula fills in zeros for the missing years. If you work 3 more years in SS-covered employment at $69,000, you'd be replacing 3 zeros (or very low earning years) in your calculation. That's why you're seeing such a significant jump in your estimated benefit (from $713 to $1,001). Have you requested your Social Security earnings record? That would show exactly which years would be replaced and might help with your decision. You can view this online if you have a mySocialSecurity account.
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Freya Larsen
•I do have a mySocialSecurity account but haven't looked at my detailed earnings record recently. I'll definitely check which years would be replaced by the potential new earnings. I'm pretty sure I have several zeros in my calculation since I spent over 20 years in non-SS teaching positions.
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Anastasia Sokolov
You're overthinking this way too much. If you don't need the money, do what makes you HAPPY. Period. End of story. No more analysis needed!
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Freya Larsen
•When you put it that way, it sounds so simple! I'm definitely prone to overanalyzing. Maybe I need to step back and ask myself what I truly want from the next few years rather than just looking at the numbers.
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