Will Social Security GPO reduce my benefits if my CalSTRS spouse dies before me?

GPO only applies to SS spousal or widow(er) benefits based on your SPOUSE'S work record, not your OWN SS benefits that you earned. So your own $2,304 SS benefit isn't affected by GPO at all no matter what happens with your wife's CalSTRS pension. You'd keep getting your full SS amount even if she passes away and you start receiving her pension.

The previous commenter is correct. I went through something similar with my husband's federal pension and my Social Security. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) ONLY affects Social Security benefits that are based on someone else's work record. In your case: 1. Your $2,304 SS benefit is based on YOUR work record - GPO doesn't touch this 2. GPO would only matter if you were trying to claim a spousal or survivor benefit based on your WIFE'S Social Security record Since your wife is in CalSTRS, she likely doesn't have substantial SS credits anyway (many CalSTRS participants don't). So there wouldn't be much if any SS survivor benefit to claim from her record. You'll keep your full $2,304 SS benefit even after receiving her CalSTRS survivor pension. The two don't offset each other because your SS is your own earned benefit.

I was super confused about this same issue!! The SSA explanation online is so confusing. I think what everyone's saying is right - GPO only affects benefits that would be based on someone else's record. If you're getting benefits based on YOUR work history, you're fine! This stuff is so complicated. I tried calling SSA 5 TIMES to get a straight answer about my situation (also with a state pension spouse) and could never get through. Hours on hold just to get disconnected! ARGH!!

I've been studying SS rules since 2017 when I retired from teaching, and the GPO/WEP confusion is RIDICULOUS. Let me try to make this 100% clear: 1. YOUR OWN Social Security from YOUR OWN work record = NOT affected by GPO (ever!) 2. YOUR WIFE'S CalSTRS pension = NOT affected by your situation at all 3. If your wife had enough Social Security credits (which many CalSTRS folks don't), you could be eligible for SS spousal benefits (while she's alive) or survivor benefits (after she passes). THESE benefits would be reduced by GPO. BUT - it sounds like you're only counting on your own SS benefit of $2,304. This is SAFE from GPO, period! Also worth noting - WEP is a different rule that reduces YOUR OWN benefit if YOU worked in non-SS-covered employment. Doesn't sound like that applies to you, only to your wife.

my husband gets caLSTRS too and we went through all this confusion. the way i undersand it from our meeting with SSA: GPO = affects spousal/survivor benefits WEP = affects your own benefits if u had non-SS job sounds like no GPO for you since your using your own record. and no WEP since you didnt mention working for state government yourself. so you'll get your full SS + her calSTRS if she passes first. lucky you! we have a different issue cause my ss is tiny so we have to deal with GPO reducing what i can get from his record ugh

One thing nobody mentioned - you need to get this in writing from the SSA. Don't just take our word for it. They have a form you can fill out to get a formal determination about how GPO/WEP will affect you. I can't remember what it's called but an SSA rep can tell you. Get the official answer before finalizing retirement plans.

My wife taught in Texas and i went thru all this!!! GPO is only for spousal benifits not ur own SS. But be careful cuz sometimes SSA workers dont even understand there own rules!!! When my wife died they tried to apply GPO to my own benifits until i showed them there OWN RULES!!!!

Would be good to check if your wife has any SS credits at all. Sometimes teachers work enough quarters in SS jobs before teaching to qualify for some small SS benefit. If she does, then GPO would reduce what you could get as a widower from HER record (not your own), but you'd still have your own $2,304 + her CalSTRS. The only potential loss would be any survivor benefit from her SS record, which is probably small or non-existent anyway.

Just wanted to add that GPO is so frustrating for those of us affected by it. I worked as a teacher for 28 years and get a pension, but my husband had a great career with high SS earnings. When he passes, I'll only get a tiny fraction of what most widows would get from his record because of GPO. It feels so unfair that I'm punished for choosing a public service career!

As a newcomer trying to understand all this, it's really helpful to see everyone's explanations! From what I'm gathering, the key distinction is that GPO only affects Social Security benefits you'd receive based on someone ELSE'S work record (like spousal or survivor benefits), but it doesn't touch the Social Security you earned from your own work history. So @Carter Holmes, your $2,304/month Social Security benefit that you earned yourself should be completely safe - GPO won't reduce it at all, even when you start receiving your wife's CalSTRS pension as a survivor benefit. The confusing part seems to be that there are two separate government pension rules (GPO and WEP) that people often mix up, plus SSA's own explanations aren't always clear. But everyone here seems to agree on the basic principle: your own earned SS benefits = protected from GPO. I'd definitely follow the advice about getting an official determination from SSA though, just to have it in writing for your peace of mind!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my spouse who has a state teacher retirement system pension. What I'm learning from everyone's experiences is that there are really two key questions to ask yourself: 1. Are you claiming Social Security based on YOUR OWN work record? (If yes, GPO doesn't apply) 2. Are you claiming Social Security based on your SPOUSE'S work record? (If yes, GPO might reduce those benefits) @Carter Holmes - it sounds like you're in category #1, so you should be fine. But I'm curious - have you considered whether your wife might have ANY Social Security credits from work before teaching? Even a small SS survivor benefit could be worth checking on, though it would be subject to GPO. Also, for anyone dealing with these complex rules, I've found that the SSA's online calculators and benefit estimates don't always account for GPO/WEP properly, so the official determination that @Sophia Long mentioned is really important. Don't rely on the online estimates alone! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world knowledge that's so hard to find elsewhere.