Will my part-time teaching job in KY affect my Social Security benefits since teachers don't pay into SS?

your fine unless you get a pension from teaching. if its just part time subbing and you dont work enough years to get an actual pension from KY, then WEP/GPO doesnt apply to you at all. just keep working and dont worry

This is a common concern for people working in jobs not covered by Social Security. Let me clarify a few things: 1. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) only applies if you earn a pension from work not covered by Social Security (like your teaching job) AND have enough Social Security-covered work to qualify for SS benefits. 2. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) affects spousal or survivor benefits if you receive a government pension. The key issue is whether you'll actually receive a pension from the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System. Most state retirement systems have vesting requirements of 5-10 years. As a substitute teacher, you'd need to work enough to qualify for their pension. Regarding the Social Security Fairness Act - it's been proposed multiple times to eliminate or reduce WEP/GPO, but hasn't passed yet. If it does, it would likely reduce or eliminate these penalties.

my brother in law had this EXACT situation happen to him in Ohio. he worked like 30 years in business then did teaching for like 7 years. he got HIT HARD by WEP when he tried to collect SS. lost like $700 a month!!!! totally unfair system.

I've been dealing with this exact issue! Getting through to SSA to get a clear answer was IMPOSSIBLE - busy signals for weeks and 2-hour hold times. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent explained that WEP only affects you if you actually receive a pension from the non-covered work. Since I only taught part-time for 3 years, I never vested in the teacher system and my SS benefits weren't affected at all. They even did a calculation on my record to show me. Huge relief!

I'm so confused about all this pension stuff! I thought social security was just based on what you paid in????? Why does having a pension from a different job even matter??

You should be just fine with your situation. The key factor is whether you'll receive an actual pension from the Kentucky system. You mentioned you're 61 and just started subbing recently. Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System typically requires 5 years of service to vest in their pension. If you're just doing this part-time, you likely won't accumulate enough service credit to qualify for a pension. Without a pension from the non-covered employment, WEP doesn't apply to you. Your Social Security benefits will be calculated normally based on your 35+ years of contributions from your corporate career. If the Social Security Fairness Act ever passes (it's been introduced multiple times but hasn't become law), it would eliminate WEP/GPO anyway, but in your specific case, it probably won't matter since these provisions likely won't affect you.

i think your confusing this with the kansas teachers thing my neighbor had this problem too she worked for 25 years in accounting then did teaching in kansas for 8 years and her ss check got cut by like 40% when she retired its called the windmill provision or something

CALL THE SSA NOW AND GET A WRITTEN ESTIMATE!!! Don't trust what people tell you online!! My sister got TERRIBLE advice about this exact situation and it cost her thousands!!!

The most accurate way to understand your specific situation is to request a WEP calculation from SSA based on your projected teaching pension (if any). Here's what you need to know: 1. It's all about whether you'll receive a pension from Kentucky. The standard vesting period is 5 years of service credit. As a substitute teacher working 2-3 days a week, you'd likely need 7-10 calendar years to reach that threshold. 2. If you don't vest and receive no pension, WEP/GPO won't affect your Social Security benefits at all. 3. If you do eventually vest, the WEP reduction is limited by two factors: - The more years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security (you have 35+), the smaller the WEP reduction - The maximum WEP reduction in 2025 is about $557 per month 4. The Social Security Fairness Act has been reintroduced in Congress multiple times. The current version (H.R. 82) has not been passed yet. If it does pass, it would phase out WEP/GPO entirely. I suggest creating an account at my.ssa.gov if you haven't already, where you can see personalized estimates.

I went through something very similar when I started substitute teaching after my corporate retirement! The good news is that you're likely overthinking this. Since you're only subbing 2-3 days a week and started recently, you almost certainly won't accumulate enough service credit to vest in the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System. Here's what I learned from my research and calls to SSA: 1. WEP only kicks in if you actually RECEIVE a pension from non-SS covered work - not just if you pay into the system 2. Kentucky requires 5 years of service credit to vest, and as a part-time sub, that would take many more calendar years to achieve 3. Your 35+ years of SS-covered earnings actually work in your favor - the more years of substantial SS earnings you have, the less WEP affects you even if it did apply I'd still recommend calling SSA or checking your my.ssa.gov account for peace of mind, but based on your situation, your Social Security benefits should be calculated normally. Keep enjoying the substitute teaching - it's a great way to stay active in retirement!

I'm in a very similar situation - retired from corporate work and now doing part-time substitute teaching! Based on everything I've read and my own research, you should be fine. The key point everyone is making is correct: WEP only applies if you actually receive a pension from the non-SS covered work. I looked into my state's teacher retirement system (different state but similar rules), and they all have vesting requirements. For Kentucky, you'd need 5 years of service credit. As a substitute teacher working 2-3 days per week, you're probably earning maybe 0.3-0.5 years of service credit per school year, so you'd need to work for over a decade to vest. Since you're already 61 and planning to file for SS at 67, it's highly unlikely you'll accumulate enough service to earn a Kentucky teacher pension. No pension = no WEP impact on your Social Security benefits. Your 35+ years of SS-covered earnings from your corporate career will determine your benefits, just like normal. The substitute teaching income might even help if it's higher than some of your earlier lower-earning years in the calculation. Enjoy the teaching - it's a great way to stay engaged in retirement while earning some extra income!

I'm also navigating retirement and considering part-time work, so this discussion has been incredibly helpful! What strikes me is how many people seem to misunderstand that WEP only applies when you actually RECEIVE a pension from non-SS covered work, not just when you pay into those systems. For anyone else in similar situations, it sounds like the key questions are: 1) Will you work long enough to vest in the non-SS system? 2) How many years of substantial SS-covered earnings do you have? The OP clearly has strong SS-covered work history (35+ years) and is very unlikely to vest in Kentucky's system with part-time substitute work. This seems like a perfect example of someone who can pursue meaningful part-time work in retirement without worrying about WEP impacts. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and research - this thread should be bookmarked for anyone dealing with similar retirement/part-time work questions!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation and want to add some practical advice based on my experience. I retired from banking at 62 and started substitute teaching in Texas, which also doesn't participate in Social Security for teachers. Here's what I learned after spending months worried about this exact issue: 1. Kentucky's Teacher Retirement System requires 5 years of service credit to vest. As a substitute working 2-3 days per week, you're probably earning about 0.4-0.5 years of service credit per school year. You'd need to work well over a decade to vest. 2. I called SSA multiple times and they confirmed that WEP only applies if you actually receive a monthly pension from the non-covered employment. Just paying into the system doesn't trigger it. 3. Your my.ssa.gov account won't show potential WEP reductions unless you're actually receiving a non-SS pension. The system assumes normal benefit calculations until there's an actual pension to factor in. 4. With 35+ years of substantial SS earnings, even if WEP somehow applied later, your reduction would be minimal due to the substantial earnings exception. The bottom line: enjoy your substitute teaching without worry. You're extremely unlikely to work long enough to earn a Kentucky pension, and your SS benefits should calculate normally based on your corporate career. I've been subbing for two years now and love the flexibility and purpose it provides in retirement!

As someone who recently navigated this exact situation, I can share some reassurance! I retired from IT management at 62 and started substitute teaching in Ohio (also a non-SS state for teachers). I was initially terrified about WEP implications until I did deep research and spoke with SSA. The key insight that gave me peace of mind: WEP is triggered by receiving an actual pension, not just contributing to a non-SS system. Most state teacher retirement systems require 5+ years to vest, and as a part-time substitute, you're earning fractional service credit each year. I've been subbing for 18 months now at about the same frequency as you (2-3 days/week) and according to my district's HR, I'm earning roughly 0.4 years of service credit per school year. At that rate, I'd need to substitute until I'm about 75 to even qualify for a minimal pension - which definitely isn't my plan! Your 35+ years of substantial SS earnings actually work strongly in your favor. Even in the unlikely scenario that you eventually earned a small teacher pension, the WEP reduction would be minimal due to your extensive SS-covered work history. I'd still recommend calling SSA for official confirmation (I used that Claimyr service another poster mentioned to skip the hold times), but mathematically, your situation looks very safe. Enjoy the substitute teaching - it's been one of the most rewarding parts of my retirement!