I am Canadian, living in U.S.A. with Permanent Residence status. I have never worked in the US. We have lived here since 1996. My husband (who is now naturalized) has contributed to SS for 27 years (so far). We know that if he were to retire before FRA (3 years from now), and collects CPP, his benefits will be reduced by WEP. I am entitled to spousal benefits. I am collecting a small CPP. Will "my" CPP cause my "spousal benefits" to be reduced by WEP? If so, by what percentage?

Hi. No, at least not directly. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) only applies to Social Security retirement or disability benefits payable based on a person's own Social Security earnings history. Therefore, your CPP pension won't cause your spousal benefit rate to be reduced.

However, spousal benefits are calculated based on 50% of the primary insurance amount (PIA) of the worker on whose account the spousal benefits are paid. Therefore, if your husband's PIA is reduced by WEP because he's collecting a CPP pension based on his Canadian earnings, that will in turn reduce your spousal benefit rate.

It sounds like you and your husband should strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your various options so that you can determine the best overall strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry