Will COLA increases be included when GPO ends for widow's Social Security benefits?
I'm another casualty of the Government Pension Offset (GPO). My husband passed away in 2022 after receiving his Social Security retirement benefits for only a year after claiming at his Full Retirement Age. I worked as a public school teacher for 31 years and have my pension, which triggered the dreaded GPO. Currently I'm only getting about 1/3 of what his survivor benefit would normally be - it's frustrating! With Congress ending the GPO soon, I've been wondering about the COLA increases that have happened since his death (8.7% in 2023, 3.2% in 2024, and 2.5% in 2025). Does anyone know if SSA will apply all these COLAs when they recalculate our benefits after GPO ends? The difference could be quite significant when you compound those increases on the original benefit amount. I've tried calling SSA twice but gave up after being on hold forever. So impatient for this unfair offset to finally end!!
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Carmen Vega
Yes, they will definitely include all COLAs when recalculating your benefit after GPO is eliminated. The survivor benefit is first calculated based on your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), then all COLAs are applied cumulatively from the time of his death. When they remove the GPO reduction, they'll start with your full survivor benefit amount INCLUDING all those COLAs that have accumulated. Those are impressive COLAs too - especially that 8.7% from 2023! You're right that the compounding effect makes a significant difference.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Thank you for confirming! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. So they'll basically take what my full survivor benefit would have been in 2022, then add all those COLAs on top of that? That makes me feel better about the waiting. Any idea on the timeline for when they'll actually start paying the full amounts?
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QuantumQuester
I'm in almost the exact same situation! My husband died in 2021 after 40 years of marriage, and I only get a tiny fraction of his SS because I was a government employee with a pension. I've been tracking those COLA increases too - they BETTER include them when they recalculate. I've been trying to get through to SS on the phone for three days with no luck. Tried their local office but they said I need to wait until they implement the changes. The waiting is driving me CRAZY!!!
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Andre Moreau
•This GPO thing is so unfair. My mom lost most of my dad's SS when he died because she was a teacher. They really should give you all retroactive payments too going back to when this horrible offset started. Its not right to punish teachers and public workers.
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Zoe Stavros
Former SSA claims specialist here. Yes, COLAs will be applied to your full survivor benefit when the GPO elimination is implemented. The system automatically calculates and adds all applicable COLAs to benefits. However, while the legislation ends the GPO going forward, it doesn't include retroactive payments for benefits already reduced. So you'll get the full survivor benefit with all COLAs once implementation happens, but not back payments for the reduced amounts from 2022-2025.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Thanks for the expert insight. I wasn't expecting retroactive payments (although that would be nice!). I'm just relieved to know I'll get the full benefit with all those COLAs applied once they implement the change. Do you have any idea how long the implementation might take after the legislation is final?
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Jamal Harris
my sister went thru this. she only got part of her husbands ss check too because of her teacher pension. its so stupid they took money from people who worked hard there whole life. dont forget you can also check mysocialsecurity online to see your benefit amounts
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I check my MySocialSecurity account regularly! But it just shows my current reduced amount. I'm hoping they'll update it quickly once the change goes through. Your sister must be excited about the GPO ending too!
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Mei Chen
I tried calling SSA about this exact question last week! After being on hold for nearly 2 hours, I finally gave up. Then I remembered someone on this forum mentioned a service called Claimyr that helps you skip the phone wait times. I was skeptical but decided to try it (claimyr.com). It actually worked! They got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed that yes, all COLAs will be applied when they recalculate benefits after GPO ends. You can see how it works in their video demonstration here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - might save you some frustration if you need to call again with questions.
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QuantumQuester
•Does this actually work? I've been trying to get through to someone at SSA for DAYS about my widow's benefits and the GPO. Always disconnected or on hold until I give up. I'll try anything at this point!
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Mei Chen
•It did work for me! Saved me hours of waiting on hold. The agent I spoke with said their systems already have the programming in place to apply all COLAs when they recalculate benefits. They're just waiting for the final implementation instructions once the legislation is complete.
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Liam Sullivan
I think we need to be careful about getting too excited about the GPO repeal. My neighbor who worked for our state DOT said they were told the implementation could take up to a year after the legislation passes. The SSA systems are so outdated and they have to reprogram everything. And the COLA might not work exactly how we think - they might just apply it to the current amount rather than going back and recalculating everything from scratch.
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Zoe Stavros
•Your concern about implementation timing is valid - SSA does need time to update systems and procedures. However, regarding COLAs, I can confirm they will be properly applied to the full benefit amount. The benefit calculation system automatically tracks and applies all COLAs from the initial entitlement date, so when the GPO reduction is removed, you'll receive the full benefit with all applicable COLAs correctly applied. It won't be calculated from the reduced amount.
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Jamal Harris
wat is GOP? do u mean GPO? my uncle had this problem too
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Yes, I meant GPO (Government Pension Offset), sorry for the typo! It affects people who receive government pensions from work where they didn't pay into Social Security.
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Andre Moreau
My mom got hit by the GPO too when my dad died. She was a school principal. She lost like 75% of his SS benefits she should have gotten. Its sooooo unfair! They worked there whole lives and paid into the system just like everyone else!!!
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Zoe Stavros
•To clarify a common misconception: The GPO exists because many government employees with pensions (like teachers, police, some state workers) worked in positions where they didn't pay Social Security taxes on those earnings. The offset was created because these employees weren't contributing to the SS system during those years of government employment, unlike most workers. That said, many consider it overly harsh, which is why Congress is eliminating it. Your mother will benefit from this change going forward.
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Carmen Vega
One thing to be aware of regarding the COLA calculations: Social Security applies COLAs using compounding, not simple addition. So if your husband's original benefit was $2000, the 8.7% COLA in 2023 would make it $2,174. Then the 3.2% COLA in 2024 would be applied to $2,174 (not the original $2000), resulting in $2,243.57. The 2025 COLA of 2.5% would bring it to $2,299.66. This compounding effect makes a significant difference over time. When your GPO is removed, you should receive the full widow's benefit with this proper COLA compounding applied.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Thank you for explaining the compounding effect! I understand it better now. The difference between my reduced benefit and what I should be getting is substantial - probably around $1,400 monthly. Multiply that by however many months until I die (hopefully many years!), and the GPO has cost me a small fortune. I'm just grateful it's finally ending.
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