I'll be subject to WEP and am wondering if I can contribute past age of 62 (not yet receiving benefits) to have a few more years of substantial income counted toward the calculation.

Also, I would qualify at age 62 if all years were averaged until that point. Do you think that the bill is going to pass? S. 3401: Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2020

Hi,

Hi Larry,
I have a question on behalf of my mother. She worked 30 years in the US and about 10 years in Germany. She is 85 and receives social security from the US and Government retirement funds from Germany. However, although she paid quite a bit into SS they reduced her benefits significantly because of her Germany pension. Is this correct? Shouldn't she be able to receive her maximum SS benefits regardless of her Germany pension? She only receives about $600 per month from Germany.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Sierra

I have your MaxSS software but am confused why it returns a $0 spousal benefit for my wife.

I turn 70 this April and will be starting my SS benefit that month. Wife turns 63 this October and is retiring from public school teaching this May with a school pension. She also has ten years significant prior SS earnings.

I'm having difficulty calculating my wife's SS benefit at her FRA. I will be 70 this April and will begin my SS benefit at $3581/mo. Wife has 10 years significant earnings and her FRA benefit is estimated on her SS statement will be $827/mo. However she has 16yrs teaching and will have a monthly pension of $1807/mo. We plan for her to claim spousal benefit on my claim. But when I calculate the GPO and WEP reductions, her benefit is less than $0. It seems that the combo of GPO and WEP eliminates her SS benefit whether she claims spousal or not. Am I missing something?

Larry,
Is there a simple way to figure pension offset when it comes to receiving social security benefits? My first career provided a pension and I fell under a social security exemption. Since then, I’ve successfully continued a second career in which I’ve met my social security quarters but I’m curious how much my estimated benefits will be reduced? Social securities site is difficult to understand in regards to this question. Thank you! Jim

Hi Jim,

When ths SS law was change by Reagan. We were told that the people who started prior to a certain date would be "GRANDFATHERED IN". Meaning the new SS law would not affect us. (The city of Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power) workers if we should chose to work after retiring from the city. I retired in 1999, worked long enough to qualify for SS benefits. When applying I was told that my monthly allotment of approximant benefit $900 would be lowered to $200. Due to my working for the LADWP.

Hi Larry,

52yo here considering a new job with city government. I've been working full-time since age 17 (military but no pension benefit eligibility) followed by private sector to date. Am I correct in my reading of WEP that with my now 30 plus years of work, any potential government pension would not result in a reduction of future social security benefits?

Thx

Hi,

My Widowed mother receives a non covered pension from her teaching career of $3500/month. Her pension has an annual inflation adjustment. Her husband, who she had been married to for 50 years, died in 2007. My mother was well past FRA at that time. At the time of his death, he was receiving a SS benefit of $2000/month. I assume my mother’s SS widow benefit is subject to the GPO. Currently, she receives no widow’s benefit, as 2/3rd’s of her pension completely offsets the $2000 benefit she would otherwise receive.

I'm a federal retiree under CSRS with a survivor's benefit for my wife. My started drawing her social security at age 64 or 65; she was eligible for social security at 62. Will she be able to both her social security and CSRS survivor's benefits after my death?

Hi,

Yes. Drawing a CSRS survivor pension would have no adverse affect on your wife's Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry

Twenty five years ago I cashed out my pers. Now today I am filling under my wife’s social security.How will this affect my social security retirement?

Hi,