I am a retired federal employee following up on the progress in the change related to the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, and the pension fairness issues experienced by more than 3 million people.
WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefits of local, municipal, state and federal retirees who also worked in Social Security-covered private-sector employment, and who earned an annuity from their non-Social Security-covered government employment. GPO reduces or eliminates spousal or survivor benefits based on earned pensions from non-covered government employment.
The federal pension fairness issue impacts federal retirees who entered service since 1984. Instead of receiving a full cost-of-living adjustment, as Social Security beneficiaries and older federal retirees receive, their COLA is reduced by 1 percentage point from what the measured change in consumer prices has been. They face this reduction just because they worked in government service under the newer government pension systems.
In Delaware, there are many retired public (police, fire fighters, correctional, health officers and town officials, to name few), teachers at the local and higher education levels, state employees and federal employees that have their Social Security benefits reduced so low the amount does not even cover the costs of Medicare Part B. Everyone should be able to work a second job to meet living costs but should not penalized if they worked in public sector employment. Private sector employees can work two jobs, and when retired, collect an earned pension and full Social Security.
The bill to eliminate WEP and GPO (HR 82/S 597) has garnered more than 325 co-sponsors in the House and 62 in the Senate, but still has not made it out of the House Ways and Means Committee or Senate Finance Committee.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia is looking to get these bills onto the floor of the House for a formal vote. I ask that you take two actions this fall: one, write your federal legislators here in Delaware to put pressure on getting these important bills onto the floor of the House; and when you vote in the upcoming primaries and general election, look at the candidates who are supporting local, municipal, state and federal employees on these two important issues.
Now is the time to write Congress to encourage pension fairness for both public and private sector employees. No one should be penalized for working to provide for their family private or public sector. I ask that people be aware and contact their appropriate federal representative to implement these changes.
As a member of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, these are my personal views, but NARFE and others are working to undo this injustice to individuals that worked in public and private sector. Feel free to contact me through my LinkedIn page with questions. If you are a federal employee, active or retired, look to join NARFE. They are fighting for you.
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