The Social Security Fairness Act, which would repeal two federal provisions that cut public employees’ Social Security benefits, has reached a new milestone with 60 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the bill’s author, announced this week.
“Social Security is a bedrock of our middle class,” Brown said in his opening statement at a hearing on the legislation. “It’s retirement security that Americans pay into and earn over a lifetime of work – and workers count on it to be there for them when they retire. And I’m committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security for those who have worked and paid Social security taxes throughout their careers.”
The bill repeals “provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government,” along with other regulations that limit the amount that someone can receive from their benefits. The main provisions: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
Previously, the WEP reduced Social Security benefits for retired federal, state, and local government employees (including public school educators) who worked in both in the private sector and at a government job where Social Security is not intended as a source of their retirement income, such as the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. The GPO, meanwhile, reduces spousal and survivor Social Security benefits if the beneficiary is also a government employee (like, say, a retired teacher).
This legislation will target public servants, including teachers, to ensure they’re able to take advantage of the maximum amount possible for their pensions.
The Social Security Fairness Act should be a bipartisan priority. To find your representative’s contact information, use this online tool. We also encourage you to sign on to AFT’s petition in support of the legislation.