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H.R. 726, The Windfall Elimination Provision Relief Act of 2007
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Visitor Comments
Edward Gerusa Jr.
Here we go again.
It does not matter that you paid into a system of Social Security for the number of years required for retirement, when it comes time to retire under the SS system, If you additionally retire from the local independent school district or a federal agency with retirement benefits you cannot double dip.
In the old days, my cousin retired from the military, then went into the government service and retired there too.
It seems to me that the elderly are the ones Congress has the least trouble in taking their money to put into other activities like fighting the war in Iraq, or building up the military arsenal. The elderly and the infirm, the veterans of our country suffer at the hands of congress.
Kathleen Fulmer
What some people do not realize is that the current provisions are devastating for women and teachers. For example, I have a small pension, $234, a month,from six years teaching in a public school. Because of this and the fact that I stayed home for 5 years to raise my children, I do not have enough SS Quarters so my Social Security benefits will by cut in half. These are the people that the new legislation will help.
Marge Cantello
I received early retirement from Civil Service and worked for private industry to qualify for social security. I will now have to work until I die to make up for the amount taken away due to the WEP. I am now 69 years old. Where is my American dream?
Burt Kay
I am over 62 so I get some social security for years spent working in the US. As a dual national I will also get my justly earned UK pension, no quibbles, no reductions. But now I find out that my US amount may be reduced even though I earned it! If I went out and made two private investments I would be entitled to receive the proceeds. So where is the justice in the US WEP nonsense?
Ben Varner
I advise graduate student teachers to beware of going into teaching if they have worked a number of years and paid into SS. If they join their teachers' state pension plan that does not contribute to SS, their benefits will be docked by as much as 45%. The WEP is clearly unfair to them. Why should they go into teaching if they will be financially penalized?
Randolph Clark
The reduction applied by the WEP will leave my combined pension and SS about 30-40% above the poverty level for 2. What a windfall!
Ed Johnson, GPHR
I have one question. Does WEP apply to Active Duty miltary retired pay. It not clera to me as military retired pay is sometimes distinquised from civil service pay.
Bonnie Jones
It seems that teachers are being penalized in all areas. I have a colleague who worked for 20 years in the grocery industry. He went into teaching at a low-income school to make a difference for these children. He would never dream of abandoning these students, even with all of the challenges. He is now 60 years old. The teacher's retirement plan is so low that many retired teachers are living in poverty with no health benefits. This man will have to work until he is 70 in order to have a descent retirement. I, as a woman educator will not be able to collect my husband's or my SS and I went into teaching at 44. So, I will have to teach until I die. Thank goodness I love my job. It's amazing that someone who throws a ball into a basket can pout if they don't receive money in the millions and many teachers become homeless at retirement. Where is justice?
Len Szymborski
I worked in private industry for almost 15 years then went to work for my country with the Department of Defense. Since I will retire from my federal job I will lose about 45% of my SS benefits. I worked, I paid but I do not get the same benefits as an Illegal alien that has lived in this country for 8 years. God bless America.
ashland gearheart
I worked and paid ss for several years. ss now tells me I get only 40 percent. Congress needs to act now. Call your congressman.
E. McMurray
Congress just voted themselves a $4400.00 a year raise, yet they feel it is alright to take over half of our S. Security and have people living at or slightly above the poverty level.
Joe Mesmer
I am retired law enforcement and during my 25 years on the police dept
I paid for my own pension and also worked at least 20 hrs per week on part time jobs in order to pay into ss which would help in my later years. The pension windfall act has penalized me for being a hard working american and I still have to work part time to support my pension. My employer and I are still paying into ss but my benefits will still be reduced. The lawmakers ought to set this right and let the hundreds of thousands of workers being penalized be able to receive the same ss benefit as all other citizens. Something is wrong with this picture when even illegal immigrants receive benefits.
Lynda Harris
I worked in private industry for 14 years (paying into social security) then went to work for the federal government with Dept. of Defense for 26 years. My social security is reduced approximately 45% because I receive federal retirement under the old CSRS retirement system (WEP). My ex- husband worked for the railroad for approximately 20 years and I am not entitled to any monies from the railroad because of my retirement from the federal service and social security's tie with the railroad. (I was married to my ex for 45 years). I would probably receive as much as I do now if I had stayed at home and never worked. TALK ABOUT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST A GROUP OF PEOPLE. Congress should take immediate action to correct this injustice!!!!
Bill Baker
I worked 22 years in ss 16 years in new water treatment facilities for fed. and state. I receive 50% social security and my calpers benefits thanks to windfall. I make the same as my 100% social security. i lost any gain for paying into a seperate retirement.what windfall. i lost all my retirement from the state. if i had not work he 16 years i woul still get the same amount. thank you
Edward Gerusa Jr.
Congress can take it away and congress can give it back. You have to remember this law took place when congress was trying to save nickels to make ends meet.
In view of the fact that the cost of medical care is skyrocketing, now is the time to repeal the H.R. 726 and restore every SS recepient to the time of the taking.
Edward Gerusa Jr.
Joe Mesmer
Where is the outrage in CONGRESS when it comes to doing what is right for hundreds of thousands of government employees and their spouses who are unfairly penalized by the so called pension windfall. It's time for COGRESS to step up to the plate.
B. Brown
I have to laugh when I see Gov. Schwarzeneger (California) asking retired aerospace workers to become math and science teachers in their local public schools. He neglects to tell them that any retirement benefits earned by them will be offset by their Social Security benefits. The truth is, your future will be penalized if you choose to work with the youth in your public schools. The truth is that, it's far wiser to work and save in private industry, than to contribute your time, talents, experience, morals and good sense to the youth in your local public schools. If I had known what Congress had in store for teachers in our United States of America, I would have chosen a money-making profession instead of a profession that devotes itself to the education and growth of the youth and their families in our society---as pathetic as that is.
Ken
I also fell into the great american way..I started working as a teen..I worked three jobs at a time for a short time..Two jobs payed into Social Security,the other was working for the Postal Service. My retirement from the postal is not very much,and like others I was counting on my S.S to add the retirement. If CONGRESS can keep giving themselves a raise,I wish that they would realize that we(seniors)have too face cost of living increase,health insurance increase,gasoline cost (over $
3.00 a gallon here in Oregon. We can't vote in a raise for ourselve,we can't even get what we paid into.
s
Dale
Our Congress of the United States has taken upon themselves to deprive people from receiving what they deserve in Social Security benefits. If you continue to work and pay into Social Security, you will still be penalized by 10% after working 30 years and paying into the system...providing you meet an established threshold called substantial earnings. It's nice to know we can work hard, pay into a system and subsequently be deprived of what you have earned over the years. It's not right and the provision passed by those that represent us should be repealed...wonder how many in Congress are affected by this unfair legislation?
Jane
I wish that all Civil Service employees and retirees would support this bill. I worked for 14 years, paying in to Social Security. We all understand Social Security was not designed to be a full support system. However, we paid our faithful share into Social Security when working under that system, now we have gone on to represent our government under the Civil Service plan and pay a penalty for doing so. At least, make a provision to pay back the full amount that we paid into the system with a set amount of interest, if we can not draw on both plans. We worked for this money in retirement the same as all Social Security payees. I resent being called a double dipper. For those already in the government system that do not support this bill, something must awaken you. What can we do to push this bill along?
Joe Mesmer
We can do something. Get as many of your family members and friends to vote out of office the lawmakers that do not support this bill and keep letting it die in committee. We can also try to reach one of the presidential candidates and make them aware of the hundreds of thousands of people that are being unfairly penalized under the windfall pension act. The time to do it is now.
Mike in Northern California
How's this for a slow burn? I worked in California law enforcement for 30 years in the PERS system. In order to make my mortgage payments etc. I always had one or two part time jobs during my entire 30 year career. I payed all my taxes and have earned my forty quarter units. After all that, my $711.00 benefit will be reduced to $216.00 a month thanks to WEP. HOWEVER, my 36 year old methamphetamine user and all around party girl neice can walk into the Social Security office after earning ZERO quarter units (she went through 4 husbands who supported her) with her "Bi-Polar" diagnosis and now receives well over $1,000.00 a month Social Security disability. How's that for a great big pat on the back for the honest hard working stiffs in America?
Joe Wyzard
I worked for the fire department for 36 years and at a part-time job during those years. I did not OFFER to pay SS. SS was taken from me with a promise that MY money would be RETURNED to me upon retirement.
There are some who never work, yet receive unto death. There are those of us who have never taken anything from the government, and are penalized for it.
At least Jesse James carried a gun! But wasn't he considered a criminal for taking people's money?
Dana Wyzard
The news of our social security theft by the government hit me and my husband squarely in the face today. It's not like his pension is any bigger than what a lot of people are being gifted with from social security for not working!
The problem lies in the fact that once the government gets ANY money, whether by hook or crook, they are NOT going to give it back by repealing one of their own bills.
They screwed it up by giving it away, and they found one way to cover expenses; by riding right over the people who worked and planned for their own retirement.
We actually bothered writing our congressman before realizing that we were asking the very person responsible for this situation to help us.
Lynn
The Windfall Act is completely unfair. Please do the right thing and restore the full amount to our social security that we worked, for and that we need at our age and that we should fairly receive.
Janet
It seems to me that in this country you are penalized for being ambitious and working hard to have a good retirement. I retired from the federal government with an annuity, but I also am working in private industry now and have enough quarters to draw SS. Like many others in our country, my SS will be slashed because I earned an annuity from the federal government. There is something about the unfairness of this WPE law that bothers me, intensely. The used to penalized enlisted military personnel in the same way, but they changed that law and they are no longer penalized. Why are ordinary citizens who work hard and earn their retirement from all of the systems they work in, being penalized for being good, honorable, hard-workign citizens? This is unfair, unequal, treatment and it is discriminatory in nature. We need deliverance from this penalty.
Linda Lee
I am a teacher. It seems that teachers, the firemen, policemen, and any one else that works for the state of Louisiana are treated like second class citizens when they retire. If it wasn't for teachers, the people that made these stupid laws couldn't even read well enough to make laws. We are the real backbone of this country. My husband worked 33 years and paid in SS but if he died today I would be living in poverty. You know, it makes me not respect my job as much as I once did. Illegal immigrants and people coming into this country are t reated better than teachers and state employees.
Steve Scatchard
If Congress likes this Windfall Elimination so much why don't they apply it to ALL working people? Why restrict it to just 650,000 relatively low paid civil servants? From now on let's make it so ANYBODY who receives a private pension will have their SS check cut in half. This can supply all the money we will need to (1) bail out the Wall Street banks, (2) the foreclosed homeowners who never read their loan documents AND (3) keep the war going in Iraq for McCain's entire term. Is this a great idea or what? I'm happy to be already doing my part!
Sharon Kohls
I worked for many years (20) in private industry paying into social security. I changed careers and am now teaching and have for 12 years. I am now 64 and would like to retire but will loose a good percentage of my social security benefit unless I go back and work another five years to have a full 25 years of social security. At that point you are exempt from the law. If I had stayed in private sectors, I would have continued to climb in my social security benefits. If I had started out in the teaching industry, all my benefits would have come from there and would have been much greater than they are. I am being punished for changing careers as are many people in todays lifestyle. This law needs to be repealed or changed and soon.
Ron Brown
Plain and simple, this act is unfair and not right. Police Officers, Teachers, Fire Fighters, and other civil service employees should have the Unions fight this in every possible legal way.
Ronda
I am in the same situation as the above teacher Linda. I worked for 14 years in the private sector building up social security benefits. I returned to teaching at age 40 and when I retire at 63 will be unable to live on my teachers retirement. The Social Security benefit will be close to zero and I will live in poverty. I am divorced and had counted on drawing on my ex-husbands SS earnings but neither his nor mine wjill be available to me. This is a crime against all federal employees. We deserve better.
Denis
Each year for eleven years, I received a notice from the S.S. Administration updating their estimate of what my monthly benefit would be at retirement. In 2005 the figure was $537. I considered the amount fair and reasonable. However, because I also receive a pension from the UK ($520) per month, my U.S benefits have been reduced to $230. Combined monthly income.....$780. I'm having trouble perceiving anything like a "windfall!"
Pete S
I’m USPS retired, some 9 yrs now. We were truly messed over, for 27 years we (I) was told that there would be a ‘lump sum’ to withdraw (tabulated on my pay stub every payday for 32 yrs). About five yrs before my retirement they offered an early out, many went with 900$ /mo. There had been a freeze put on the ‘lump sum’. Then they took it away entirely. I would have been entitled to 44K +. How did they get away with it? They went from CSRS to FERS,, put in place an ‘early out’ package - K’s went, so how very few are left to make and FIGHT a case of injustice. Through the yrs, & after retiring, I earned my S.S. credits. I now receive $188 /month, real nice how they gutted that benefit too. Now all the delay in making it (WEP / GPO) right is to allow many K more to die, thereby saving the $ for congressmen’s retirement packages.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ueEfRXZCVA
Albert Lifrieri
I sympathize with all of these people. I retired from the USPS in 1999 and although I have over 40 quarters is SS, I receive $220 a month.Franklin Delano Roosevelt must be turning over in his grave.
Dirk Begin
John McCain makes 450,000.00 a year and is married to a woman has more money than she and her husband John can spend in their lifetime. Yet John McCain is able to draw his Social Security benefit. I don`t know if it is his full benefit but I would assume it is. Now how about that for an injustic.
I to am a teacher who will be penalized in the near future as I will be retiring soon. I should have stayed in the private sector.
Brian Hohner
Spent 36 years on Federal Service - also had a private business, working 6 hours a day seven days a week outside of my Federal job - just to gain the American Dream - I paid into S.S but I get punished for being aggressive in my work ethic? Are you kidding me!! This sends the wrong message for people to work hard, to be proficient at their jobs....depressing news...
Jennifer Bogdan
I worked 15 years in the private sector and 22 years in the public sector for a school district. I am now retired and have recently found out that when I turn 66 my social security pension will be reduced greatly by the WEP. I collect a small pension and now will only get half of my SS. How can the gov't expect woman to live on this kind of money? Also, I understand that my spouce's pension is also threatened by a pension offset plan. This is a travesty to hard working American people.
Kathleen
We are a group of people that can be arbitrarily controlled by the government. WEP started many years before the option of converting to FERS. Also, we who were in Civil Service at the time were not 'grandfathered'.
No industry would stand for this! Can you imagine the immediate upheaval at an auto plant if this applied to them? We never had a union that worked 'for' us.
I am tired of being used. I now get SSD instead, and that too is under WEP! Totally unfair; we are NO different than anyone else who earned sosec.
Ken rone
Hey Szymborski...count your blessings, someday you may have a tortose living under your house!
James Roden
I work in a school district that pays both into TRS and Social Security, however, I will be docked from all the money I paid into social security in the district that I worked in. Why on Earth am I getting punished for paying into two different investment accounts? Teachers don't make much, nor is the social security much.
Illinois TRS Fraud
Some teachers in Illinois were required to pay FICA and not allowed to withhhold wages to the teachers' retirement system, consequently losing retirement benefits from the teachers retirement system and then having those wages withheld to FICA from teacher wages penalized by WEP.
This is a constitutional issue, but the Illinois TRS will not correct their past policies. The past policies according to TRS were based on an opinion from the Illinois AG, but there is not record of the ruling. The policy was rescinded by what TRS states was a SSA ruling. There is not record of the ruling. Roden you can contact me at 618 498 4947
Joe Mesmer
This bill is unfair to loyal govt. employees,yet we still worry about giving benefits to illegals. Where is the pressure to pass this bill and why dont we see more from the NEA,PBA.FOP,Firefighters and federal govt. employee groups? Something is wrong with this picture.
Robert
I am a professor in the California Community College System for the past 11 years. I agree this WEP is a very bizarre and unfair, unlawful, there has been a bill pending to eliminate WEP/GPO, the governor has signed off on it, yet it has bot ben sent through to congress. It has been pending for the past 2 years. All public employees need to become active to get this bill passed!!
Robert
Sorry for the above typos to my comment, but i agree and empathize with everyone working in the public sector that this WEP/WPO must go and soon.
Glenda
I just retired from 22 years of teaching in MO. I worked SS jobs before I became a teacher at age 36, and worked SS jobs every summer to supplement my meager teacher's salary. I HAD to as a single mom raising 3 children. In fact, almost every teacher I have ever known takes summer jobs to make ends meet. I also paid into SS my first two years of teaching. It's a travesty that teachers and other civil servants are literally being ROBBED of their SS benefit. Here's the real irony, I will now sub in my old school district in order to pay my mortgage.....of course they will withhold SS from my checks! What a load of crap.
Karen
GPO/WEP robs thousands of Americans of SS benefits that they EARNED! Yet, we will pay benefits to illegal aliens. What the hell is the matter with congress?
Patti
Teachers, fire fighters, police officers often get the short end of the stick. It's time that something be done for them in recognition of their public service. I realize that there are internal rewards for what we do, but we deserve the monetary rewards as well. I am a 30yr CSRS employee and my husband worked for the telephone company for 35 years. He passed away after receiving only 6 social security checks. I deserve his portion as we built our life together, just as he would have been entitled to my retirement.
philip
With 22 years in ss prior to usps civil service enployment of 28 years with 4 years with the navy i thought the us congress would give me a pension i had earned with hard years of work and never drawing unemployment benefits. But now in the twilight of my working years I will be robbed due to the WEP act. Somebody somewhere, needs to help the hardworking people and veterans of America, thanks for listening.
Ariel
I like many others am shocked to discover that going into teaching later in life has resulted in my not adding to my social security benefits but LOSING them. I too can never retire because my STRS will never amount to enough to live on. I'm 61 now and if I retired today, I would receive $1033 a month--some windfall. Congresspeople, wake up. You're severely punishing teachers. Prospective teachers, don't do it unless you're 22 and can stay with the profession long enough to earn a realistic retirement. Anyone who knows, please share what else we can do besides contact the U.S. Congress.
Michele
Isn't it interesting that Congress can find a way to solve the mortgage crisis - but they cannot find a way to repeal the WEP. I guess this isn't a "glitzy" enough topic for them. Since they made sure that they would not be effected by it, why would they care! And where is the AARP in all of this? Why aren't they fighting for us? No, they think they are helping by telling us how to buy less expensive drugs or where to get discounts...if we got the money we EARNED from Social Security, we might be able to afford our medications and not have to rely on discounts!
(any lawyer out there who wants to take on the government...seems like this is a case of discrimination????)
Joe Mesmer
We should all send copies of these comments to our union organizations and our congress men and women. It's about time that the people who can do something about this should take action and get a vote on the bill.
Seal
As a single person who spent 33 years teaching and did not get paid during the summer it was necessary to work other jobs throughout my teaching career. I paid into social security all those years and am still paying into social security as I teach for a University. I am now 69 and receive $239 of the $1000 or more that I am entitled to.
This is not fair and needs to be addressed...
Bolo
I worked for the USPS for a little over 30 yrs plus less than 20 in ssa substantial earnings years, so when I retired,the good ole gov got 60% and I got 40% of the minimal amt of ssa benefit that I was entitled to. Plus when my wife gets 62, her benefit will be from my reduced amount, not the full amount. At least when I croak, she will go to the unreduced amount for her benefit. I started to tell ssa to keep it, wasn't enough for me to walk to the mailbox for.
Those paying now
Bolo
We would appreciate it if you would send back your social security check. You obviously don't want it.
Thanks.
Charlie
Glenda,
Your comment concerning payinto social security as a sub is incorrect. As a member of PSRS, even retired, you are not subject to social security withholding. If your district is doing so tell them to check with PSRS.
And if all of you really understood how the social security benefit is calculated and how the WEP prevents an unfair advantage in that calculation you might not whine so much. But since it is all about putting more in your pocket, even though undeserved, I doubt that any of you will try.
And I am also affected by the WEP after being a Missouri teacher. But I understand why the WEP is fair.
Charlie
Ed Johnson, GPHR,
Your social security IS NOT affected by your military retirement. You paid into the social security trust fund while earning your military retirement. The people doing all the complaining did not pay social secuirty on the earnings that got them their government or school retirement.
Bob
Come on people, what do you want - a free lunch. Your benefit under the WEP is much more fair now that it was before. Now you get what you deserve instead of an artificially inflated benefit.
Mark
I don't understand how so many of you retired civil service workers can even get a ss retirement check. I too am in PERS and do not pay a penny into ss. My PERS pension will be so large I wouldn't receive a ss pension anyway. My union pays my pension share so I pay nothing into my monthly pension retirement so I pay into a deffered compensation plan which will give me an extra couple hundred thousand to look forward to plus my monthly pay. I spent my entire life in civil service, military, federal and now city. I did pay a few years into ss but not enough to want to take from my own grandma's pocket. My dad is going to retire from the police force with a large pension which he never paid into ss. They have a drop program that doubles your pay upto 8 years after your 30. That equals 16 years of pay into his retirement that he didn't have to work plus thousands of hours of sick and vacation they pay for, do think he wants that little bit of ss money he paid while in the marines?
Charlie
Mark,
It appears that most of these folks are simply greedy. They want everything they can get, even if it is not fair for them to have it.
William C Demerest
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the WEP. It rights a wrong that had existed for years. Leave it alone. I do not think this legislation is right or needed.
Kitty Thomasson
I'm a 60 yr. old, divorced and work at a close to minimum wage job. My ex husband retired from IBM with a $l00,000.00 + yearly income. I paid into SS the number of years I worked and raised 4 children. We were married 8 years divored less than 2 years and remarried for another 8+ years (total of 17 years of marriage) and during this time he worked and I stayed at home raising children. I now find out that I cannot even collect half of his SS because the number of years Married must be 10 CONSECUTIVE years. How unfair is this that 17 years while I stayed home with children all SS was going into his pocket. This is a GROSS injustice!!
Bob
Kitty,
Too bad, but just what does all of that have to do with WEP elimination?
ED Downing
If you pay SS taxes for 29 years and you expect that you will get $800/mo BUT you earn $2,400/mo in Teacher's retirement THEN you will get NOTHING from SS. Who gets the thousands of dollars that you paid into SS?
Bill Braun
Please check out H.R. 82 & S. 206 to see which of your representatives and Senators have supported repeal of WEP & GPO. Then, vote for the party who is supporting you...NOT the Republican party, for sure. Thanks to those Members of Congress & Senators who support repeal. Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Congressman John J. Duncan (R-TN) will not get my vote (unless they sign on).
Kristina R.
I retired from federal government and worked 10 years to beef up my Social Security - just to find out that two thirds of it would be sucked away with the windfall act. I need this to live on. My representative at Social Security said that Congress made themselves exempt from this windfall act!!!
Becky
I too worked under social security until I was 34 years old, then worked for the Postal Service. I retired from the Postal Service in 1999 and have been working again under social security. In my opinion, our social security payments are already reduced because all those years we didn't pay into social security, so to further reduce it because of the WEP provision, is double reducing it. Example: Had I worked under SS my whole career, I would probably get 1500.00 per month SS. But, because I worked for 20 years under Civial Service, the amount before the reduction is 700.00, and after the WEP, 374.00 per month. Do you get the picture? It is a travesty that others can get retirement pay and not have their SS reduced, but we are penalized.
Dave in Florida
The bozo's in Congress don't care about us. They have a 'cadillac' retirement and health care system until they die. Good ridance!
Brandon
I can not believe that Congress made themselves exempt from a provision that affects so many people so drastically financially. Are they better than us? To lose so much of your social security check puts many people at poverty level.
Shirley M.
How can Congress make themselves exempt from a law? I do not know a lot about the process but aren't they in the business of making the laws - and we are all equal.
Doug Gilmore from Florida
Sen. McCain - If you are serious about protecting my social security, please do away with the windfall elimination provision. I worked for 30 years for the federal govenment and paid $50,000 of my own money into my CSRS retirement. I also paid into social security for more than 40 quarter hours to qualify for social security retirement like any regular American. Yet, I am penalized more than than 50% because I am a Civil Service retiree. Where is the justice in this????????
Carol
To Doug from Florida - I may be wrong but I heard Sen. McCain said that we need to sit down like we did in 1983 and fix social security again. That is when the windfall provision was voted in. Only Obama has signed on to repeal this terribly unfair act. Also Obama wants no tax on the first $50,000. you have coming in as a senior. I like many things about McCain but I really do not think he understands the complete and total injustice of this. It will keep many elders in poverty.
Jean R.
I think the only ones who read this are probably the ones that are in this situation. However, I believe it would be good to simplify our message at least in the beginning. The basic message the way I see it is that you can work for the federal government and get an annuity (many have small and many have larger checks) they may not need their social security, but I do.
After retiring, if we choose to work a few years and pay into social security, we are then docked up to two thirds of what our social security check would be.
This does not happen in private industry and can not be fair to us.
I won't go any further because the number of years I worked and how much I receive is just a different number for all of us. It is the principal that is unfair. If you moved your neighbor's yard as a teenager and got paid $35., would another neighbor hire me and have the right to say,(after I mowed the yard, you have enough money and just give me $5.?
Sharon H.
I worked 24 yrs. in private industry and paid my SS taxes. I have worked the last 15 years for the state government. When I retire from the state my state pension will be $1,300 a month (huge windfall!!). My 24 yrs of paying into SS will be reduced by 40% because just because I worked for the state. The government is actually stealing the money I put into SS for 26 years!! Who gets my money!!! This law should be considered illegal!!
For Sharon H.
So which is it 24 years or 26 years?
If you look at the tables for significant earnings used by social security to calculate the offset you may find that you are not goint to see a 40 percent reduction. You will not see an offset for each year over 20 that you meet or exceed the table amount. In your case this could be as much as 20 percent.