[quote=CA renter]No, public employees with these pension plans do not participate in Social Security. Even if they had private sector jobs and made SS contributions for the required quarters, their SS benefits are reduced if they get a govt pension.
“If you worked in a job not covered under Social Security; e.g., some federal, state, or local government employment, the pension you get based on that work may reduce your Social Security benefits. Your benefit can be reduced based on one of two provisions.
The first provision, called the Government Pension Offset (GPO), applies only if you receive a government pension and are eligible for Social Security benefits as a spouse or widow(er).
The second provision, called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), affects how we calculate your Social Security retirement or disability benefits if you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. We modify the formula used to calculate your benefit amount, giving you a lower Social Security benefit.”
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CAR, thank you for “outing” this “offset” here of between 4% and 20% (I believe) of Social Security benefits. This amount is taken from the govm’t worker’s pension every month to prevent “double-dipping.”
