Congress agrees to change Social Security for teachers and firefighters

WASHINGTON – Congress passed a bill early Saturday that would increase Social Security benefits for public workers.

The Social Security Fairness Act would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduce Social Security benefits for certain retirees who also receive retirement income.

Combined, WEP and GPO affect nearly 3 million Americans, including police officers, firefighters, postal workers and public school teachers.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 70-26 at 12:15 a.m. It was passed by the House of Representatives in November and is now on the president’s desk for his signature.

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The bill is “a great gift to our retired firefighters, police officers, postal workers, teachers and others who contributed to Social Security for years but are now being penalized for their time in public service,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N .Y. said Wednesday. “That’s unfair. It is deeply unfair. It goes against the American ideal of working hard, making money and enjoying a well-deserved retirement.”

However, some senators who voted against the bill argued that it would unfairly benefit some workers while increasing the burden of Social Security on others and endangering the Social Security Fund as a whole.

“Let’s be clear: This bill would increase inequity in the calculation of Social Security benefits,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a speech on the Senate floor Friday.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the Social Security Trust Fund is less than 10 years away from bankruptcy and that this bill will accelerate bankruptcy.

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“This policy addresses the Social Security challenge for a single-digit percentage of people who have a pension,” he said. “It’s something we need to fix, but this is not the way to fix it.”

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will cost $196 billion over the next decade.

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces Social Security benefits for those who earn “unfunded” retirement income and do not pay Social Security contributions in their jobs, which are typically public sector positions. These workers can lose up to half of their pension.

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The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces survivor or spousal benefits if a person’s pension is not covered. GPO affects fewer people but cuts Social Security benefits by two-thirds of the pension amount. If two-thirds of your state pension is more than your Social Security benefit, your benefit could be reduced to zero.

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Congress agrees to change Social Security for teachers and firefighters

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