WEP, GPO repealed
OPERS worked for many years to shine a light on Social Security provisions
By Michael Pramik, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
Jan. 9, 2025 – President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act on Jan. 5, repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. OPERS has worked hard through the years to draw attention to these provisions because of their importance to our members.
The Windfall Elimination Provision reduced Social Security benefits for those who receive pensions from public-sector jobs. The Government Pension Offset decreased spousal or survivor benefits for retired public-sector workers who did not pay into Social Security.
Thus, the passage of the act will mean increased Social Security benefits for many OPERS members and retirees who worked some of their careers in the private sector, as well as for some of their beneficiaries. The bill’s language calls for back payments to be made to January 2024.
Passage of the Social Security Fairness Act will have no impact on your OPERS benefits.
We recommend that members refer to the Social Security Administration’s website for information about when benefit amounts will change or back payments might be issued. In its latest update, Social Security says it is “evaluating how to implement the Act. We will provide more information as soon as available.”
Michael Pramik
Michael Pramik is communication strategist for the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and editor of the PERSpective blog. As an experienced business journalist, he clarifies complex pension policies and helps members make smart choices to secure their retirement.
Thank you OPERS and Senator Brown for his tireless work in getting this passed. I have been waiting 11 years for this and are thankful for President Biden signing into law.
I am 84 paid into SS for 10 years,and I am collecting social security. I was a public employee for 26 years and have a public employees pension. Will I receive increased SS benefits?
Ralph,
That’s a question that needs to be directed to the Social Security Administration.
After years of letters and phone calls finally it gets pass. Now when do they start pay us ?
I have seen nothing saying when they will actually start paying us. Is there any information on that?
Dan,
Refer to the Social Security Administration’s website, as outlined in the blog.
Woohoo! 🎉 Extra cash in my Social Security check? I’m definitely not complaining! Thinking about all the fun things I can do with a little extra padding in my wallet. At least twenty years left living. Sounds like lots of fun, sounds pretty amazing to me! #retirement #socialsecurity #blessed
Will this happen automatically or do we have to call SS and present ourself as one of those affected to begin the process?
Thank you
Molly,
Your question is answered by Social Security in the link provided in the blog. If you haven’t applied for Social Security, you’re advised to do so. If you have, the Social Security Administration says, “you do not need to take any action except to verify that we have your current mailing address and direct deposit information if it has recently changed.”
I filed for Social Security effective 2-1-2025 , because the law was signed on 1-6-2025. You said in this newsletter they are evaluating how to implement the Act. I wonder if I applied to soon??
John,
Social Security has to answer questions about implementation. Regardless, the provisions now cease to exist.
Many thanks goes to Senator Susan Collins and our former Senator Sherrod Brown, along with Chairwoman Bette Marafino of the WEP/GPO National Task Force Action Committee and the many bipartisan members of the 118th Congress that supported passage of this bill. It took many years and many individuals working together to make this a reality. I am deeply grateful and looking forward to recovering my lost SS benefits. This is truly a victory for the middle class!
Many good things have one or more unexpected consequences. An unexpected consequence of the WEP/GPO repeal might very cause the recipient to be bumped into an income bracket that will kick in Medicare IRMAA payments. On the whole, the repeal is a good thing that does away with an unfair practice.
Since the WEP and GPO have been repealed effective January 5, the social security administration has no further legal justification to withhold part of my social security. As a result, I would expect my monthly benefit to increase beginning with the first benefit payment after that effective date. For me that will be February 3. However, we all know that the government can do whatever it likes, so i am not holding my breath.
John D
I read on line that it may take up to one year for the benefits to be implemented. certainly niot one month.
Joyce,
We saw the same thing on the Social Security Administration’s website.
I really feel the pain of those who have been getting ripped off for decades by this UNFAIR provision. It was beyond time for a repeal! Its too bad they aren’t forced to recompensate the full amount due to them. This sort of manipulative legislation was enacted to punish civil servants – plain and simple. “Double dipping” was the phrase used, these same legislators with golden parachute retirements and lifetime benefits were unaffected, of course. Along with their constant stock market trades with insider info and bonus $$$$$ from lobbyists.
This is one for the hard working among us. Now we need to fix SS all together once and for all and stop making it a political game piece!
Will OPERS also consider being fair and repeal the decrease/penalty of OPERS disability benefits if social security payments are received? Shouldn’t disability recipients receive their full social security benefits if they paid into the federal system prior to receiving a public retirement?
Having to remove themselves from public service (and earning full retirement benefits from OPERS) because of a disability is penalty enough, without OPERS also sanctioning more penalties for what they rightfully earned from paying into the federal social security system.
Thank God this finally happened! It was so unfair that when I told people about it, they didn’t believe it was true and thought I had to be mistaken.
Will we have to pay taxes on the reimbursement of the back pay of the WEP-GPO?
Anonymous,
That’s a question for the Social Security Administration. However, those benefits can be taxable.
Put the corks back in the champagne bottles. According to the new social security administration, it will take up to a year to implement. That gives them a lot of time to create a crisis and take away the $’s that we are entitled to.
So after giving Trillions of taxpayer monies to every country under the sun , a few scraps are given to those who are responsible for generating all that money , so they passed the elimination act – but when calling Social Security for what kind of changes we can expect – They Don’t Have an Answer –