Will my government pension reduce my SS benefits? WEP confusion at FRA

Yes, you'll still be eligible for Social Security benefits even with a government pension, but the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) will likely reduce your benefit amount. The WEP affects people who receive pensions from jobs where they didn't pay Social Security taxes (like many state and local government positions) but also qualify for Social Security from other work. How much it reduces depends on your years of "substantial earnings" in jobs covered by Social Security. If you have 30+ years of substantial earnings, there's no reduction. With fewer years, the reduction can be significant but is capped at a certain amount. Since you worked 18 years in covered employment, you'll see a reduction, but you'll definitely still receive something. You should create an account on ssa.gov and request a WEP-adjusted benefit calculation.

My situation is similar to yours! I get a fire department pension and SS. Let me tell u, WEP is a total ripoff! I lost almost half my SS benefit even tho I paid in just like everyone else. The govt is basically stealing your money. My brother in law didn't have a govt pension and got way more than me even though we had similar earnings. Total scam if u ask me!

The WEP calculation is actually quite specific. For 2025, if you have less than 20 years of substantial earnings, your Social Security PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) could be reduced by up to $593 per month. With 18 years of substantial earnings, you'd be looking at a reduction factor of about 80%. For 2025, "substantial earnings" means you earned at least $31,725 in each of those years (the threshold is adjusted yearly). You can use the SSA's WEP calculator here: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/anyPiaWepjs04.html The years do NOT need to be consecutive - it's the total number that matters. Make sure you're also aware of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) if you might be eligible for spousal or survivor benefits.

You might want to check if your state is one of the 15 states where teachers don't pay into Social Security. If you paid SS taxes while teaching, WEP might not apply to you at all! Worth checking your old pay stubs or W-2s to see if SS taxes were deducted.

I went through this exact situation last year! I had a NY state pension and applied for SS at 67. The WEP reduced my benefit by about $450/month from what was on my SS statement. Here's what I learned - call Social Security directly and ask for a WEP calculation BEFORE you apply. I tried for WEEKS to get through to someone who could help me. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 5 minutes. Totally worth it after wasting hours with busy signals and disconnects. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent was able to look at my specific situation and give me the exact WEP calculation so I wasn't surprised when I applied. Definitely get this info before you file!

My mom went through something similar with her teacher's pension from Ohio. From what I remember helping her, the reduction was something like 40% of what she would have gotten otherwise. But there's a maximum reduction they can apply - they can't take away your entire benefit. Also, the number of years with "substantial earnings" really matters. Each year above 20 reduces the penalty. She had 22 years I think, which helped a bit.

i think ur talking about the windfall thing. my uncle had same issue with his police pension and his SS was cut by like half!! totaly unfair sytem they cut ur benefits even tho u worked and earned them

One more important point - when you apply, make sure you tell SSA about your pension right away. If you don't and they find out later (which they will), they'll determine you've been overpaid and demand the money back, sometimes years later with interest. Also, if your government employer was a state that made a Section 218 Agreement with SSA (allowing government employees to be covered by Social Security), then WEP might not apply. Worth checking if California had such an agreement for teachers during your employment years.

I went through a similar situation with my state pension from Texas. The key thing to remember is that WEP doesn't eliminate your Social Security - it just adjusts the formula they use to calculate your benefit. In my case, with about 16 years of substantial earnings, I saw roughly a 35% reduction from what my original SS statement projected. The most important advice I can give is to gather ALL your old W-2s or tax returns to verify which years actually count as "substantial earnings." I was surprised to find that a couple years I thought would qualify didn't meet the threshold due to part-time work early in my career. Also, don't forget that once you start receiving both your pension and Social Security, you might face different tax implications since you'll have multiple income streams. I'd recommend talking to a tax professional before you file to understand the full picture. The SSA online calculators are helpful, but nothing beats getting an official calculation from them directly. Good luck with your application!

I'm in a very similar situation and have been researching this extensively! As a newcomer to understanding WEP, I found it helpful to know that the reduction is calculated using a modified formula rather than just a flat percentage cut. One thing that might help you is to request your complete Social Security earnings record (Form SSA-7050-F4) to see exactly which years show substantial earnings. You can request this online through your my Social Security account or by calling SSA. Also, since you mentioned you're turning 66 in November, you might want to consider whether filing exactly at your FRA makes sense or if delaying could be beneficial. While WEP will still apply, your base benefit amount (before the WEP reduction) continues to grow by about 8% per year until age 70 through delayed retirement credits. I'd definitely echo the advice about getting an official WEP calculation from SSA before making any final decisions. The uncertainty is stressful, but at least you'll know exactly what to expect!

As someone new to this community but dealing with a similar WEP situation, I wanted to share what I've learned from my research and conversations with SSA representatives. The WEP reduction is calculated using a sliding scale based on your years of substantial earnings in Social Security-covered employment. With 18 years of covered work, you're likely looking at a significant reduction, but as others have mentioned, there's a maximum cap on how much they can reduce your benefit. One thing I discovered that might help you is that SSA has a specific WEP Guarantee provision - they can never reduce your Social Security benefit by more than half of your government pension amount. So if your teacher's pension is $2,000/month, the most they could reduce your SS benefit would be $1,000/month, even if the WEP formula suggests a larger reduction. Also, I'd strongly recommend creating a detailed timeline of all your employment to verify those 18 years. Sometimes jobs we think were SS-covered actually weren't, or vice versa. I found discrepancies in my own records that affected my calculation. The waiting game is tough, but getting that official WEP calculation before you file will give you peace of mind and help you plan your retirement finances more accurately. Good luck with your application process!