Windfall Elimination Provision and Layout
I am posting this information today because I know some of you out there are teachers, state, county or local employees who will be drawing Social Security in your 60′s.
My husband was a firefighter for 32 years and choose to participate in their pension program and not pay Social Security. BUT, he also worked in the private sector for over 12 years to make sure he had enough quarters for Social Security. Nowadays, you need more than a pension plan to make ends meet and Social Security was going to help in his golden years.
Now that he only has 2 years to go until he is 62, we recently found out that he may not qualify for all of his social security benefits. This is due to the Windfall Elimination Provision.
If you work for an employer who does not withhold Social Security taxes from your salary, such as a government agency, teachers, firefighters, policeman, etc., the pension you get based on at work may reduce your Social Security benefits. Even though you have paid into Social Security for years through part time jobs or from switching jobs, congress considered this, “Double Dipping”. You have to work 30 years or more in the private sector to not have any deductions from your social security. In my husbands case, because he didn’t work enough years, he will only receive HALF of his social security each month. He should receive what he has paid in!
I could not believe what I was reading and found out that just about 1 million people will be effected by this law! The provision was adopted back in 1983 because cuts needed to be made in Social Security. Also in the provision, the president and congress are exempt from this law!! Oh and lets not forget all the Social Security benefits given to illegal aliens. That’s where the cuts should be made, not from people that have worked hard for their Social Security benefits.
HOW DARE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS PENALIZE HARD WORKING AMERICANS FROM THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY!! There are so many of these government employees that have to work part time jobs to make ends meet. I know alot of teachers that do this.
How can we fight back? You must write your Congressmen and sign the petition and maybe we can get this law repealed. There is legislature out there, but at the moment, it’s in limbo it seems. What’s new.
Please, if you are a government employee, your spouse, family member or friend, let them know about the Windfall Elimination Provision and how it may take big chunks out of your retirement years.
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Retrodiva Designs has come out with another beautiful kit called Wild Abandon. It has beautiful greens, blues and browns and of course, her wonderful elements.
Here is a layout done with Wild Abandon. I also used Suzy Hilburn key element and Gillter Mega kit by Briget Kerr.
Wow, I wonder if it’s only ‘some’ governmental agencies that don’t take out for Social Security? I worked with the US Postal Service, the IRS and a military base as a civilian, and I always had SS taken out of my checks, and each year when I get my annual statement from SS admin, it shows those years and income on it.
I’ll have to look a little deeper, thanks for the info and have a great day!
I keep wondering if social security is even going to be around when we are eligible for it. Every so often we get those statements showing how much we’ve contributed – it’s mind boggling!
Wow!
As a teacher, I always had to pay for Social security. How crazy about that windfall elimination act.
thanks for the info — this is good to know!
My husband started working for the county just as they were scaling back pension benefits, so I don’t think touching social security with holdings was not even a choice.
People who chose to work in the public sector (especially police and fire) make sacrifices to be there and should not be penelized at retirement.
It is terrible. Unfortunately, my husband and I have been paying into SSA for our entire lives ~ I have been paying in since I was 14 years old ~ and we don’t expect to see a dime of it.
If we all performed as poorly on the job as our goverment officials, we’d all be jobless.
You’re getting my blood pressure up now, girlfriend! THIS is exactly why we need an overhaul of the system! What an awful “investment” Soc. Sec. is when I don’t even get an even payout and I’m FORCED to pay MY money in!!! phew…