Take action! Tell Congress to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). These outdated federal laws reduce earned Social Security benefits and reduce or eliminate spousal survival benefits, penalizing proud public employees who have dedicated their lives to public service. Nearly 2 million people residing in all 50 states are hurt by reductions in their Social Security benefits, including OCSEA members.
Tell Congress to REPEAL the GPO-WEP and support bipartisan passage of the Social Security Act of 2023. Tell them we need provisions that help public employee retirees and their families, not hinder them. Because of GPO-WEP, 25 percent of public service retirees will see cuts to their Social Security due to other earnings or pensions. Some retirees have even had their Social Security benefits cut to zero.
The bottom line is that the GPO and WEP provisions force many public employees to either work a lot longer or to retire and live in poverty.
The WEP significantly reduces a retiree’s Social Security benefit simply because the retiree is also eligible to collect a public pension—even if that retiree is entitled to a Social Security benefit from work in another non-public sector job;
The GPO deeply cuts and, in some cases, completely eliminates any survivor benefit a spouse may be entitled to simply because that spouse has earned a public-sector pension—even if that spouse is entitled to a survivor benefit based on their spouse’s work in a Social Security covered job;
Nine out of 10 public employees affected by the GPO upon the death of their spouse lose their entire spousal benefit, even though their spouse paid social security taxes for years;
These laws disproportionally impact women. Over 80 percent of surviving spouses impacted by the GPO are women, many are harmed by both the WEP and GPO, and many are not aware of the GPO until it comes time to apply for survivor benefits.
AFSCME pushes for windfall elimination repeal in lame duck
December 7, 2022
As we approach the end of the year, AFSCME and OCSEA continue to work on repealing the Social Security Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) with the passage of the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act. The Senate version, Senate 1302, is sponsored by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. For the U.S House version, thanks to public union member lobbying efforts, there are 305 bipartisan sponsors. In November, Ohio House Representative Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) introduced a House Concurrent Resolution to urge Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision. For the first time ever, a vote was taken on a repeal of the GPO & WEP and has moved out of Committee.
For the last 40 years, OCSEA and AFSCME retirees have been fighting to try to change the GPO and WEP that prevents employees with a public pension (and their survivors) from collecting their full Social Security from jobs outside of public employment upon retirement.
The goal is to get these punishing provisions eliminated before the start of the new Congressional session next year. OCSEA and AFSCME will be keeping an eye on this resolution and any movement in Congress on this issue. Watch this space for more information.
To send an email to your Representative and Senator, click HERE. Ask them to support the Social Security Fairness Act and repeal the unfair GPO and WEP.
If this is not passed in the lame duck session, we will take the momentum we have generated this year and start immediately fighting for a repeal in 2023.
Windfall elimination resolution introduced in Ohio House
November 17, 2022
In good news for public retirees, Ohio House Representative Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) has introduced House Concurrent Resolution 52 - WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION to urge Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision.
For the last 40 years, OCSEA and AFSCME retirees have been fighting to try to change a federal law, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Protection Act (WEP), that prevents employees with a public pension (and their survivors) from collecting their full Social Security from jobs outside of public employment upon retirement.
Plummer introduced the resolution this week to put pressure on Congress to get these punishing provisions eliminated before the start of the new Congressional session next year. OCSEA and AFSCME will be keeping an eye on this resolution and any movement in Congress on this issue. Watch this space for more information.