I hope so, my wife is in IT and works for an ISD. She does not get summers off she works all year long so she can’t work the summers like the teachers do. She worked 10 years private sector before going to the school. If she doesn’t get my death benefits she’ll probably be screwed if I died before my retirement accounts mature over the next 20 years. She’ll be on TRS benefits which are a joke to begin with. Makes no sense she wouldn’t get what she worked for or what I paid in, just another way to screw the middle class.

I think they broke into two separate issues.
1. Windfall Elimination Provision
2. Government offset.

I haven’t followed government offset as closely.

I never made it 10 years. Anyone who wants to give me 10 years on a stable job that pays more than my current pm me.

This great news! My wife had a previous career for 15 years, and was going to school full time earning a BA and a masters degree. Then went into public schools. When she retired she should have received $1000 a month SS from her previous career, plus her TRS pension. Instead when applying for SS she was informed of the WEP and would only be receiving $495.
What a shock! This would be a great deal if it actually passes through Congress.

I've paid into Social Security, Federal Withholding, and Medicare since my first paycheck.

And also into my TMRS retirement account.

This is great, my wife worked for private software firm and paid into SS until she was 35. She then went into teaching. I paid into SS until I was 23. Started working as a freshman in high school and started paying in then. Not a lot but that was my money. I deserve something for it.

I think I get shafted too. 32 years of government service, Navy, Border Patrol, Customs. Later had 7 years as an EMT. I pay through the nose every year.

I'm already drawing mine with the penalty, it wasn't cut in half, maybe it is different now, but there was a limit on the amount you could be penalized, and it wasn't half. I don't know that much about it, maybe things are different now. I wonder if this would apply to those already drawing SS?

I only put 10 years in with an ISD and wouldn't be able to touch TRS without my SS taking a hit until I paid 30 years of SS. At 30 years of paying SS the WEP doesn't apply. This bill is a good thing and only levels the playing field.

Exactly. The WEP is about half, but the penalty can be reduced by every year you contribute to 30 years of qualified SS contributions. It’s pretty hard for most to get 30 years of SS contributions and qualify for a pension.

My wife is a retired teacher and this affects her. She could only get 1/2 of my S/S and they take that amount from her TRS retirement so the total amount she would get stays the exact same.
I have a friend whose wife never worked, they are both retired now and she is allowed to draw half of his. Something about this just doesn't seem fair, I worked and paid into S/S for 47 years. If I die before her, under the current rules she doesn't get a single penny for all the years I worked.

That is good. Some things changed, but it only applied to those who hired after 1983. I was hired before that and so was exempt from paying SS or Medicare my entire career. At the end of a 34 year career I was still not eligible for SS or Medicare when I retired. For those of us in that boat, the city would have paid for our Medicare B when reaching medicare age if we did not qualify from other earned income. I qualified myself through paying medicare and SS tax on my small business income to obtain the last of my 40 quarters.

This will not affect me as I retired with 30 SS credits and a small government pension. But as my wife is younger than I this could be benefit to her survivor benefits. I don't know if the SS plan can finically meet this obligation without a reducing other "obligation".

My wife retired after 42 years of service teaching, 38 in Texas and with the TRS pension. Due to the current laws, if I die before her, she does not get any spousal benefits from my SS. I've always thought that was wrong. Guess I will have to dig into this possible change in legislation and see if that is being addressed.

Survivor benefits shouldn't be affected by their profession. There are restrictions such as not getting remarried prior to their 60th birthday, and they are subject to the earnings penalty just like their own SS benefits. I'm in this situation right now. My fiancée and I have to wait until after my 60th birthday in March to get married so I can collect my deceased wife's SS, and I can't apply for them until I retire because my earnings while I'm working will completely wipe out what I would collect. Also, when I decide to start collecting my benefits, hers will just go away. Legalized theft.

Some of the Texas Reps who voted against it. Hunt, Moran,Roy, Crenshaw, Doggett and my rep Ken Self.


https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024456

I can't express my hatred in strong enough terms for Self. He is a disgusting little man.

I read some of that the other day and am still not sure what it means to me. 32 plus years with the government and probably 10 or less in the real world. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

When will the Senate vote on this bill?

The more I find out about Self, the more I dislike him. Crenshaw too.

From what I understand, it may be up to Schumer and he may delay it. Supposedly they have 60 Senators on board.

Good to know.

Patiently waiting.

I was waiting to see mid it made it to a senate vote. Looks like it will. Can’t stand Liz Warren, but she is consistent.