Will WEP-affected Social Security recipients get left out of the new law increases?

My husband is in the same boat!!! He was a firefighter for 23 years and now his SS is cut by like $600 from that stupid WEP thing. We've been talking to people at our retirement group and NOBODY seems to know for sure if the new changes help us or not. Some say yes some say no. VERY FRUSTRATING!!!! Why can't they just make this stuff CLEAR????

There's some confusion around this topic. The recent Social Security legislation primarily addresses the WEP and GPO formulas moving forward, but implementation details are still being worked out. What I understand from reliable sources: 1) If you're already receiving reduced benefits due to WEP, you may see some modest increases, but don't expect the full WEP penalty to disappear. 2) The most significant benefits will be for future retirees who haven't yet applied for Social Security. 3) The new proportional formula is designed to be fairer but won't eliminate WEP entirely for those with government pensions. I'd recommend checking your mySocialSecurity account every month to monitor for any payment changes as the new rules get implemented. The SSA is supposed to send notices to affected beneficiaries once they've finalized how the changes will be applied to existing recipients.

my cousin works for SSA and she said they r still figuring out how to apply the new rules to ppl already getting benefits with WEP. she said dont expect anything to change for at least 6 months maybe longer. govt moves slow lol

I've been researching this extensively as I'm also affected by WEP. The legislation does include provisions for current beneficiaries, but with limitations. Here's what the actual bill text indicates: - Current WEP-affected beneficiaries will receive an adjusted calculation that's more proportional to actual earnings history - There's a guaranteed minimum increase for those who've paid into Social Security for 20+ years while also working in uncovered employment - The implementation timeline spans several years, with initial adjustments beginning in 2026 With your 27 years of contributions, you should qualify for some relief under the new formula. The SSA is required to recalculate existing benefits and apply the more favorable formula (old or new). However, don't expect this to happen quickly - the SSA has been given 18 months to develop implementation procedures. I'd recommend formally requesting a benefit recalculation once the new rules are in place, as there's no guarantee they'll automatically review every WEP case without prompting.

I saw something about this on the news last night! I think they said something about how the changes won't take effect for a couple years? Not totally sure though.

I feel your pain! The whole WEP thing is SO unfair. I worked as a teacher for 30 years and then found out my Social Security from my previous job would be cut by almost half! It's like being punished for choosing to teach. Hope you get some good news with these changes.

Has anyone actually managed to talk to a real person at SSA about this??? I've been trying for WEEKS and can't get through!!!

This whole system is so confusing. I thought Social Security was supposed to be straightforward! My dad never had to deal with all these complicated rules when he retired.

If you have 40+ quarters of Social Security coverage as you mentioned, make sure that's properly documented in your earnings record. Sometimes quarters get missed in the system. I've seen cases where correcting the earnings record resulted in a reduction of the WEP penalty even under the old rules. You can check your lifetime earnings record in your mySocialSecurity account. If you see any years missing or with incorrect amounts, gather documentation (W-2s, tax returns) and submit a correction request. This might help regardless of how the new law is implemented.