Will my widow's Social Security benefits increase with new WEP/GPO changes if husband was a firefighter?
My late husband worked as a firefighter for 28 years and didn't pay into Social Security through that job. He only had Social Security contributions from side jobs he did during summers and after retirement. He passed away 16 years ago, and I've been receiving survivor benefits based on his limited Social Security record. I'm hearing about new changes to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) in the latest legislation. Does anyone know if these changes will increase my monthly survivor benefit? I'm currently getting about $840/month from his record, and I'm wondering if I should contact SSA about a potential increase or if it will happen automatically. I'm 74 now and really could use any additional income.
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Isabella Santos
Yes, there are some important changes coming to WEP/GPO provisions that might help your situation. The Social Security Fairness Act provisions that were included in the latest tax legislation will gradually phase out some of the penalties for spouses and survivors of public servants who didn't pay into Social Security. Since your husband was a firefighter with a government pension and you're receiving survivor benefits, you might qualify for an increase. The changes are being implemented gradually over several years though, starting in 2025. The good news is that SSA should recalculate your benefit automatically, but it's always wise to call and confirm they have properly identified you as someone affected by these changes.
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Malik Johnson
•Thank you so much for this information! Do you know how much of an increase I might see? And should I be doing anything to prepare for this? I've heard the SSA phone lines are impossible these days.
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Ravi Sharma
I'm in almost the SAME situation except my husband was a teacher!! Been trying to get a straight answer from SSA for MONTHS about how the new law affects me. Every time I call I get disconnected or told something different. One rep told me increases could be up to 30% eventually but another said only like 5% the first year?? So frustrating!!!! Has anyone actually gotten REAL information about the timeline??
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Freya Larsen
•When I called SSA last week about a similar question, I ended up using Claimyr.com to get through to a representative instantly instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I spoke with confirmed that the WEP/GPO changes will start in 2025 with a 20% reduction in the offset the first year, then increase by 20% each year until it's fully phased out by 2029. So you'll see gradual increases each year rather than getting the full benefit immediately.
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Omar Hassan
not sure why everyone's so excited about this. the changes don't actually eliminate WEP/GPO completely, just reduce them. plus if your husband didn't have much SS earnings to begin with, the increase might be pretty small. don't get your hopes up too much.
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Chloe Taylor
•This is actually a good point. My mother was in a similar situation and we calculated that even with the full phase-out, her monthly benefit will only increase by about $120 because my dad's Social Security earnings were minimal compared to his police pension. Still worth pursuing though!
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ShadowHunter
I work for a retirement advisory firm that specializes in government employee benefits, and this question comes up frequently. Here's what you need to understand about the new legislation: 1. The GPO reduction will phase out gradually: 20% in 2025, 40% in 2026, 60% in 2027, 80% in 2028, and completely in 2029. 2. For survivor benefits like yours, the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount each year based on the phase-out schedule. 3. The full impact depends on what your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) would have been without WEP/GPO reductions. I recommend requesting an earnings statement from SSA to see exactly how many credits your husband had and what his full benefit would have been. Then you can calculate the potential increase yourself. The difference between your current $840 and what you'll eventually receive could be substantial depending on his full earnings record.
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Diego Ramirez
•Can I just say how RIDICULOUS it is that we even have to deal with WEP/GPO at all? My husband served the public for 30 years as a police officer and because of that I get penalized on Social Security? Never made sense to me. At least they're finally fixing it, even if it's taking 5 years to fully implement. 🙄
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Ravi Sharma
Has anyone actually received a letter from SSA about this change? I haven't gotten anything and I'm worried they don't know I'm affected by GPO.
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Isabella Santos
•SSA likely won't send notices until closer to 2025 when the changes start taking effect. But you can be proactive - call SSA and specifically ask them to note in your file that you're affected by GPO and should be included in the automatic recalculations when they begin. Make sure to mention your husband was a firefighter who earned a government pension.
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Malik Johnson
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I just checked my most recent SSA statement and it does mention I'm subject to GPO, so hopefully that means I'm in their system correctly. I'm going to try calling them next week to confirm. Does anyone know if there are specific documents I should have ready when I call? I have my husband's death certificate and his pension information, but not sure what else they might need.
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Freya Larsen
•Having your husband's death certificate and pension info is good. Also have your own Social Security card, ID, and if possible, any award letters you received when you first started getting survivor benefits. Those usually mention GPO if it was applied. And definitely be prepared for a long wait when calling - unless you use a service to get through faster.
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Chloe Taylor
I talked to my neighbor who used to work for Social Security and she said these changes are gonna be a administrative nightmare for SSA to implement. She thinks there will be delays and errors for the first couple years. So definitely keep an eye on your payments starting in 2025 and don't assume they'll get it right automatically!
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Malik Johnson
•That's concerning! I'll definitely watch my deposits carefully. Our local SS office closed during COVID and never reopened, so everything has to be done by phone or online now.
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