[HALFWAY]

I was reviewing my social security statement and came across this tid bit.

My wife was an air traffic controller, retired and passed away a couple years ago. I receive a death benefit annuity from her retirement.

It seems a law was written in 2004 that spouses or in my case widowed, will have their social security benefits reduced by 2/3 of the pension or eliminated completely.

I hope someone needs all the money I paid into social security more than I.

[61-63]

I'm pretty sure deductions similar to what you state above have been in effect since far earlier than 2004. Retired federal employees cannot receive both social security and federal retirement even if they qualify for both in terms of years/quarters and $$ paid in, and neither can their survivors. They have to choose one or the other and they get no refund of what they paid in to the one they do not receive. I could research it but am too lazy. Perhaps someone else will.

[HALFWAY]

When my wife retired I remember having to choose whether I would receive benefits should she pass before me, that was in 2000.

I downloaded a PDF from social security and I am reading it very carefully. There might be a provision I still might receive social security. That date 2004 is mentioned throughout the PDF so that is where I thought the law was passed.

This PDF is in government speak so I am trying to figure it out.

[fyrffytr1]

Did you work for the government?

[BTCS]

Regarding federal retirement and social security, it depends which retirement system you were/are in.

The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or, after the mid-eighties, the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). CSRS employees could elect to convert to FERS if they wanted.

Generally, CSRS employees didn't pay social security taxes during their federal careers and therefore receive no S/S payments; FERS employees did and do receive cash benefits.

The retirement annuity calculations are more generous for CSRS than FERS which is supposed to be the difference.

OPM.gov has a lot of reference material on this as does FedWeek. I'm retired FERS and am eligible for social security.

Marc

[HALFWAY]

Originally Posted by fyrffytr1

Did you work for the government?

No, I was in the private sector my whole working career.

[HALFWAY]

Originally Posted by BTCS

Regarding federal retirement and social security, it depends which retirement system you were/are in.

The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or, after the mid-eighties, the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). CSRS employees could elect to convert to FERS if they wanted.

Generally, CSRS employees didn't pay social security taxes during their federal careers and therefore receive no S/S payments; FERS employees did and do receive cash benefits.

The retirement annuity calculations are more generous for CSRS than FERS which is supposed to be the difference.

OPM.gov has a lot of reference material on this as does FedWeek. I'm retired FERS and am eligible for social security.

Marc

My wife was in the CSRS system since 1977 and decided to remain when the FERS was offered.

Not once did I hear or read that her pension would affect my SS benefits.

Somehow that doesn't make sense to me but hey it's the government for you.

I will be calling OPM to see if I can get an answer.

[61-63]

HALFWAY I don't think you're affected unless your wife passes and you begin to receive survivor benefits from her pension, if she chose to give them to you when she retired. At that point your ss payments can drop depending upon how much your survivor benefits are. I went and researched the whole deal a little and the offset thing was passed by congress in 1983 I think it was. My original post above was not entirely correct. As I read it it is the survivor of a govt. retiree, any level of government, who may have their ss payments reduced depending upon how big their survivor benefit is under the govt. pension.

[HALFWAY]

Originally Posted by 61-63

HALFWAY I don't think you're affected unless your wife passes and you begin to receive survivor benefits from her pension, if she chose to give them to you when she retired. At that point your ss payments can drop depending upon how much your survivor benefits are. I went and researched the whole deal a little and the offset thing was passed by congress in 1983 I think it was. My original post above was not entirely correct. As I read it it is the survivor of a govt. retiree, any level of government, who may have their ss payments reduced depending upon how big their survivor benefit is under the govt. pension.

Your first sentence is my situation.

OPM didn't have the answer and I have an appointment call next Thursday morning from social security.

I have a feeling I won't be getting much if any from SS.

I wonder if I can find a copy of the form we signed and if it states that information. I certainly don't remember that part.

I have other retirement income and figured by the time I was eligible to receive SS there wouldn't be any left anyway. It would help but I will be able to live comfortably with my current income.

The only caveat is, her income was from a disability retirement and not a full pension.

[BTCS]

From AARP's Social Security Resource Center:

-The Government Pension Offset affects only your Social Security spousal or survivor benefit. If you are collecting Social Security retirement benefits and a non-covered government pension, you may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision.
-The GPO applies only to your government pension. If you are collecting a deceased spouse’s government pension, it does not affect your Social Security payments. (This was dated 2018)

Sounds like the 2/3rds offset applies to your late wife's S/S benefit - but not your's from your own career?

[HALFWAY]

Originally Posted by BTCS

From AARP's Social Security Resource Center:

-The Government Pension Offset affects only your Social Security spousal or survivor benefit. If you are collecting Social Security retirement benefits and a non-covered government pension, you may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision.
-The GPO applies only to your government pension. If you are collecting a deceased spouse’s government pension, it does not affect your Social Security payments. (This was dated 2018)

Sounds like the 2/3rds offset applies to your late wife's S/S benefit - but not your's from your own career?

Would you happen to have the link you were looking at?

I found this on the AARP website, is this what you read?

These rules apply only if you are collecting a non-covered pension based on your own work and some kind of Social Security benefit. A non-covered pension earned by your spouse has no bearing on your own Social Security benefits, even if the spouse dies and you inherit the pension.

[HALFWAY]

Thanks, I found what you posted.

Makes me feel a little better but will wait for the response from SS to positive.

[BTCS]

Yeah Halfway, looks like you've found it.

I know this stuff is as clear as mud (experienced it when I retired last year). Hopefully the SSA call will ease your concerns.

Regards, Marc

[HALFWAY]

I received confirmation that my SS will not be affected.

This rule would have affected the government employee if their spouse was receiving SS, passed and would receive any SS after the fact.