Will I get 6 or 12 months retroactive Social Security after GPO issue resolves?

my mom went thru similar thing with her pension and ss benefits but i dont think it was GPO...never heard that term before? anyway she got like 8 months back pay i think but they didnt tell her til the money showed up in her acct

The general rule is that Social Security can provide up to 6 months of retroactive benefits for retirement and spousal claims. However, since your benefits were approved but suspended (rather than this being a new application), the situation is different. In suspension cases where eligibility changes, SSA should theoretically pay you back to the date your eligibility changed (when your pension amount decreased enough to allow partial benefits after GPO). You'll need to provide SSA with documentation showing exactly when this pension change occurred. Keep in mind that the GPO reduction is 2/3 of your pension amount, so you'll need to calculate whether your reduced pension now allows for any spousal benefit. For example, if your pension was reduced to $1,200/month, the GPO reduction would be $800, leaving you potentially eligible for $175/month from the spousal benefit.

DONT COUNT ON ANYTHING! My benefits were suspended for FOUR YEARS because SSA thought I was still working full time when I wasn't!!! When they finally fixed it, they only gave me 11 months backpay even though I was owed for 48 months!!! Their excuse was "administrative finality" which is BULL****!!! I fought for 2 more years and never got the rest. The whole system is rigged against us.

congrats on qualifying for benefits! even if it's small amount its still something

I'm a retired claims specialist, and here's what should happen in your case: Since your benefits were already approved but suspended due to GPO, you should receive retroactive payments back to the date your pension amount changed, making you eligible for partial benefits. This is different from the normal 6-month retroactivity rule for new applications. You'll need to provide: 1. Documentation from your pension administrator showing when exactly the pension amount changed 2. The exact new pension amount SSA will then recalculate the GPO reduction (2/3 of your pension) and determine what portion of your spousal benefit is payable. The retroactive payment should cover the entire period from when your pension changed to present, assuming that change happened within the last 4 years (the limit for reopening determinations). Request this in writing and keep copies of everything. Processing time is typically 60-90 days for these adjustments.

My husband went through something similar with his police pension and Social Security. It wasn't exactly GPO but some other offset thing (maybe WEP?). Anyway, they gave him back pay to when he first would have been eligible after his pension was recalculated which ended up being about 9 months. The money just showed up in our account one day! Took forever to get it sorted though - like 8 months of calling and paperwork.

GPO is so confusing...good luck!!

whats the difference between GPO and WEP again? my dad has one of those but i always mix them up

Update: I spoke with a claims specialist yesterday who confirmed I should receive retroactive payments back to the date when my pension amount changes. The specialist said I need to bring in the official letter from my pension administrator showing the new amount and effective date. Going to my appointment next week with all my documentation. Thanks everyone for your help!

Great to hear you got some clarity! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear - that you'll get retroactive payments back to when your pension amount actually changes. Make sure to get multiple copies of that pension administrator letter since SSA has a habit of "losing" paperwork. Also, if possible, try to get a receipt showing you submitted the documentation. Good luck with your appointment next week!

I've been through a very similar situation with GPO and spousal benefits! When my state teacher's pension was recalculated (reduced due to an error in their calculations), I became eligible for a small portion of my ex-husband's Social Security benefits after the GPO reduction. The key thing I learned is that you should receive retroactive payments back to the exact date your pension amount officially changed, not just 6 months. In my case, it was about 14 months of back pay because that's how long it took from when my pension was corrected until SSA processed everything. Make sure you have the pension administrator put the effective date of the change clearly in their letter - this is what SSA will use to calculate your retroactive period. Also, be prepared for the process to take a few months even after you submit everything. But the good news is that once it's approved, the back pay usually comes pretty quickly after that. Your calculation sounds about right too - with a $1,350 pension, the GPO would reduce your spousal benefit by about $900, leaving you with around $75/month from the original $975. Every little bit helps!