Reforming the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) of the Social Security Act

A number of retiree groups from public employee organizations are forming a push to pass federal legislation reforming the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) of the Social Security Act. WEP adversely affects many of our members who will be retiring under a public employee pension system in that it reduces one’s social security payments (if one had another job and paid into the system before gaining employment in the courts) commensurate with one’s pension payments. Additionally, pensions and social security retirement payments are taxed! So removing this onerous WEP would alleviate to a great degree the economic hardships that retirees face. These groups are asking that we consider participating in this effort.

There is currently a petition drive for public retirees/employees to urge Congress to approve H.R. 2337. It only takes a couple of minutes to do this online; however, one needs to sign the petition before Memorial Day.

Click here to open the petition.

The WEP reduces the Social Security benefits of people who spent part of their working career in a job covered by Social Security and another part of their career in a job not covered by Social Security.

H.R. 2337, introduced by Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, would provide up to $150 a month in relief for those currently impacted by WEP and fixes the WEP for future retirees. Though we would prefer the complete repeal of WEP for all retirees, we are told the current approach is the only one that politically has a chance of passing.

H.R. 2337 holds harmless those retirees and active employees with substantial service under Social Security from an inadvertent reduction in Social Security benefits.

(To read a summary of each section of H.R. 2337, click here.)