Speak Out for Social Security Fairness: Repeal Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset

A bipartisan bill was introduced in the House this week to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduces public employees’ Social Security spousal or survivor benefits by two-thirds of their public pension, and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduces the earned Social Security benefits of an individual who also receives a public pension from a job not covered by Social Security. This week, Representatives Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a bill that would amend Title II of the Social Security Act and repeal GPO and WEP. A bipartisan bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate the week of May 6.

GPO and WEP penalize people who have dedicated their lives to public service by taking away benefits they have EARNED. Nine out of ten public employees affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit, even though their spouse paid Social Security taxes for many years. The WEP causes hard-working people to lose a significant portion of the benefits they earned themselves.

Urge your Representative to support and co-sponsor the bill to end GPO and WEP, and restore Social Security fairness. TAKE ACTION!

E-mail Congress — Tell your Representative to support and co-sponsor the bill to end GPO and WEP and restore Social Security fairness.  

More about WEP & GPO here:

Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset

Update:

“WEP and GPO are federal laws, which can only be changed by votes of the US House and US Senate. Right now, majority support doesn’t exist in either branch to move any sort of Social Security bill forward. But, that does not mean we’ve stopped trying or that those federal officials on our side have given up. We will all stick with this cause until we’re successful in getting deserved relief for our members.”

from Mass Retirees, September, 2013 Voice