Why is Social Security reducing my expected benefits by 30% despite what ssa.gov calculator showed?

The SSA website calculators don't account for the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) automatically. These provisions reduce benefits for people who worked jobs where they didn't pay into Social Security (like certain government or foreign jobs). The calculator assumes all your earnings were covered by SS. If you worked for a state/local government, railroad, or foreign employer where you didn't pay SS taxes but earned a pension, your SS benefits get reduced. It's unfair but that's how the system works. The 30% reduction sounds like WEP - it can reduce your benefit by up to ~$512/month in 2023, which would be higher in 2025.

same thing happened to me last year!! the website said one number but when i actually filed they said it would be like $800 less per month. something about my teacher pension. its criminal how they dont make this clear on there website!!!

You need to find out EXACTLY which provision is affecting you - WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) or GPO (Government Pension Offset). They work differently: - WEP affects YOUR OWN retirement benefits if you get a pension from non-SS-covered work - GPO affects SPOUSAL or SURVIVOR benefits if you get a pension from non-SS-covered work There are also exceptions to both. For WEP, if you have 30+ years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security, the WEP reduction doesn't apply at all. With 20-29 years, it's partially reduced. Call SSA back and specifically ask for a detailed breakdown of your WEP/GPO calculation. They should be able to tell you exactly how they calculated the reduction.

theres no appealing it its a law. i tried everything. they say its to prevent "double dipping" but its really just punishing public service workers

I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Social Security when I discovered my WEP reduction. Kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with was actually super helpful and explained how my WEP was calculated, which years of earnings were counting toward my "substantial earnings" total, and helped me understand my options. Worth the call to get the personalized breakdown of your situation.

One strategy worth considering: if you're close to having 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, it might be worthwhile to delay retirement and work a few more years to reach that threshold. At 30+ years of substantial earnings, the WEP penalty disappears completely. Since you mentioned having 22 years of substantial earnings, working 8 more years would eliminate the WEP reduction entirely. Even working 3-5 more years would reduce the WEP penalty significantly. The substantial earnings threshold for 2023 is $28,050, and it adjusts annually. This could potentially restore hundreds of dollars to your monthly benefit.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!! I worked for 22 years as a firefighter and then 15 years at a regular job paying into SS. Got hit with this WEP garbage too and NOBODY WARNED ME until I was already retired!!! They don't tell you this stuff on purpose so they can STEAL OUR MONEY. The website calculator is DELIBERATELY MISLEADING people!!

My husband just went through this exact thing! Called SSA and found out about WEP reduction. Just wondering - do you have specific questions ready for when you call them back? We found the first call confusing but got more helpful info when we called with specific questions.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the helpful advice. I called SSA this morning (finally got through after trying for 2 hours) and got confirmation that it's definitely WEP affecting my benefits. The agent walked me through my earnings record and confirmed I have 22 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. The good news: working just 3 more years would reduce my WEP penalty by about $300/month! That makes a huge difference, so I'm now planning to work until 2028 instead of retiring in 2025. Not ideal, but better than trying to live on significantly reduced benefits for the rest of my life. For anyone else in this situation - definitely call and ask for a detailed WEP calculation and how additional working years would change it. The differences can be substantial!

I'm so glad you were able to get through to SSA and get clarity on your situation! Your experience really highlights how important it is for people to understand WEP before making retirement plans. Just to add to what others have shared - you might also want to check if your state has any supplemental programs or if your teacher's pension system offers any additional benefits that could help offset the WEP reduction. Some states have created programs specifically to help public employees who are affected by WEP/GPO. Also, when you're planning those additional 3 years of work, consider whether maximizing your earnings during those years (if possible) could provide any additional benefit beyond just meeting the substantial earnings threshold. Every little bit helps when you're dealing with WEP reductions. Thanks for sharing your update - it's really helpful for others who might be facing the same shock you experienced!