AFGE is asking lawmakers to repeal two controversial rules that have caused public servants to lose two-thirds or even the entire amount of their Social Security benefits.
The government pension offset (GPO) and the windfall elimination provision (WEP), which have been in place since 1983, were the topic of discussion at a recent hearing held by the House Ways and Means Committee’s subcommittee on Social Security.
These two provisions should be repealed because:
- GPO penalizes public servants who receive a government pension and are also eligible for Social Security benefits of their spouse. This provision reduces survivors’ benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers.
- WEP penalizes those who have paid into Social Security at work but also receive a pension or a disability benefit from a prior employer that did not withhold Social Security payroll taxes, such as older federal retirees working under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), state and local government employees including teachers.
Social Security benefits are modest to begin with – the average is currently about $1,780 a month, not enough to meet the basic needs in many areas. Benefits are also lower than those in many developed nations. Social Security benefits need to be expanded, not cut. And one way to do that is to eliminate the GPO and WEP so that working families receive the fair benefits they have paid into. AFGE is submitting our written testimony for the record.