President Biden Signs Social Security Fairness Law, Repealing WEP and GPO
LANDMARK Victory! GPO and WEP repealed | NEA 🔗
A significant legislative victory occurred on January 5 when President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Law, ending the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) laws. This change, the result of over 40 years of advocacy by the National Education Association (NEA), will benefit approximately 2.8 million public employees, particularly educators, by increasing their Social Security benefits by an average of $360 per month. The repealed laws had unjustly reduced retirement benefits for many public workers, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers, leading to financial insecurity in retirement. The NEA's persistent lobbying and the sharing of personal stories from affected members played a crucial role in this achievement.
What are the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)?
WEP and GPO are regulations that reduced Social Security benefits for public employees who also receive pensions from jobs where they did not pay into Social Security. These provisions disproportionately affected educators and other public workers.
How many people were impacted by the repeal of GPO and WEP?
About 2.8 million public sector employees were affected by these provisions, with educators in 15 states being particularly impacted.
What is the average increase in Social Security benefits expected after the repeal?
Individuals affected by the repeal can expect an average increase of $360 per month in their Social Security benefits, depending on their employment history.