Will my Social Security check increase after WEP elimination in 2025? Need help calculating new amount
I've been receiving Social Security retirement benefits since I hit my Full Retirement Age in 2022. My current monthly payment breaks down to $920 gross, minus $198 for Medicare premiums, leaving me with $722 net. I know my benefit is reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), but I've never received a clear explanation of exactly how much is being withheld. I worked for the state government for 21 years where I earned a pension. But I also put in 22 years at various private companies, with approximately 14 of those years meeting what SSA calls "Substantial Earnings." With the news that WEP is being eliminated, I'm trying to figure out what my new benefit amount might be once SSA reprograms their systems in 2025. Does anyone know how to estimate what my new monthly payment will be without the WEP reduction? I've tried calling SSA several times but can't get through to anyone who can explain it. Any help calculating this would be greatly appreciated!
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Aurora St.Pierre
The good news is that your benefit should increase once WEP elimination is implemented! To calculate approximately how much you might receive, you'll need to determine your current WEP reduction. Typically, the maximum WEP reduction for someone who reached FRA in 2022 would be around $512/month, but that's reduced by about $40 for each year of substantial earnings over 20 years. With 14 years of substantial earnings, your WEP reduction is likely around $350-400/month. You can confirm this by requesting your Social Security Statement, which should show your non-WEP-reduced PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) and your actual WEP-reduced benefit amount. The difference between those two figures is your WEP reduction.
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Christopher Morgan
•Thank you, this is really helpful! So I might see an increase of $350-400 per month? That would be life-changing. I'll try to get my hands on that Social Security Statement to see the exact numbers. I'm guessing I need to request that through my online account?
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Grace Johnson
Im in a similer situation and been try to figure this out for MONTHS!!! Worked county gov for 18 yrs and private jobs for 25 yrs but SSA keeps giving me different answers everytime I call. One rep told me i would get $430 more a month without WEP another said only $290 more. Why cant they just tell us the REAL number???? So frustrating!!!
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Jayden Reed
•The exact amount isn't being calculated yet because the systems haven't been updated. Each rep is probably using different manual calculation methods, which explains the discrepancies. It's maddening, but we're all in the same boat until SSA completes their reprogramming in 2025.
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Nora Brooks
You can try to calculate it yourself with this formula: For each year of substantial earnings under 30, you lose 5% of 90% of your first bend point. In 2022, the first bend point was $1,024. So 90% of that is $921.60. With 14 substantial earnings years, you're missing 16 years to reach 30. 16 x 5% = 80%. 80% of $921.60 = $737.28 MAX WEP reduction. But since your actual benefit is only $920, your reduction is probably around $300-350.
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Eli Wang
•Wow that's confusing. I've been trying to understand WEP for years and still don't get it lol. So glad they're getting rid of it finally!
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Cassandra Moon
I spent three weeks trying to get someone at SSA to explain my WEP calculation and kept getting disconnected or waiting hours on hold. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in under 10 minutes. The agent was able to look up my exact WEP reduction amount and explain how they calculated it. Worth checking out their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're struggling to reach SSA directly. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Christopher Morgan
•Thank you for the suggestion! I've been trying to get through for weeks, so I'll definitely look into this. Did they give you a print-out of how they calculated your WEP amount, or just explained it verbally?
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Cassandra Moon
•They explained it verbally, but also said they could mail me a detailed breakdown. The important part was finding out exactly how much my benefit will increase when WEP is eliminated. In my case, it was about $340/month more.
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Zane Hernandez
My brother just went through this whole WEP mess. Said the only way to get the real number is to request something called a "non-WEP PIA calculation" from SSA. They dont automatically tell you how much WEP is taking from your check which is SO WRONG!
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Aurora St.Pierre
•You're absolutely right. SSA doesn't clearly communicate WEP reductions on regular benefit statements. The "non-WEP PIA calculation" is exactly what's needed, though some representatives may not know it by that specific name. Ask for your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) before and after WEP reduction.
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Jayden Reed
To directly answer your question about what to expect in 2025: Based on your 14 years of substantial earnings, your WEP penalty is likely reduced from the maximum by 40%. With the information you've provided, I estimate your benefit will increase by approximately $330-380 per month once WEP is eliminated. To get a more precise estimate, you can: 1. Log into your my Social Security account 2. Look for your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) before WEP reduction 3. Compare it to your current benefit amount The difference is approximately what you'll gain when WEP is eliminated. Keep in mind that there will also be COLA increases between now and 2025 that will make the actual dollar amount higher.
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Grace Johnson
•Does anyone know WHEN in 2025 we'll actually see this increase?? Will it be January or are they gonna make us wait all year???
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Jayden Reed
•The legislation states implementation must be completed during 2025, but doesn't specify a month. SSA hasn't announced a specific timeline yet. I expect they'll need several months to reprogram their systems, so mid-2025 is probably realistic. They'll likely process retroactive payments back to January 2025 once the systems are updated.
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Christopher Morgan
Thank you all for the helpful information! I've been trying to get straight answers for months. I'm going to request the non-WEP PIA calculation and try to get through to an agent. From what everyone has shared, it looks like I might see an increase of $300-350 per month once WEP is eliminated. That would make a huge difference for me. Does anyone know if we'll receive any official communication from SSA about our specific increase amount before the changes take effect in 2025?
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Aurora St.Pierre
•SSA will likely send notices to all affected beneficiaries before implementing the changes. Based on previous major program changes, they typically send these communications 2-3 months before implementation. The notice should include your current benefit amount, the WEP-eliminated amount, and the effective date of the change.
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