Congress Passes End to WEP: Millions to Get Full Benefits
Category: Social Security
Dec. 21, 2024 — In what will probably be one of the last acts of the current Congress, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan measure that will provide full Social Security benefits to public sector workers. Approximately 2.8 million public pension recipients will now receive benefits at the same rate as other people getting Social Security. Many of those are teachers, firemen, and state employees who paid into both Social Security and other pension plans. The vote was lauded by most leaders as the fair decision.
Frequently called double dipping, it affected public section employees who only contributed to Social Security for short periods, and also surviving spouses of those workers. Some critics worry that that the change will speed up the date when Social Security Trust Funds run out, currently projected around 2035. The change will cost Social Security about $196 over 10 years.
The problem the bill solves is a little hard to understand, unless you are affected by it. Here is how Heather Cox Richardson explains it: “The Social Security Fairness Act repeals the 1983 Windfall Elimination Provision, which cuts Social Security benefits for workers who receive government pensions, and the 1977 Government Pension Offset, which reduces Social Security benefits for spouses and survivors of people who themselves receive a government pension.” See this American Historian’s Facebook Page.
Here is a link to the full story:
See Topretirements Member Comments on this topic at “Congress Pushes to Eliminate Social Security WEP.”
Comments on "Congress Passes End to WEP: Millions to Get Full Benefits"
Nancy says:
For those who are worried SS will go broke over this, it was enacted 50 yrs ago and millions have died in the meantime without their money.
Patricia Reynolds says:
It will still shorten the life of the fund by at least 6 months.
Dale says:
$196 doesn’t seem so bad.