The Government Pension Offset (GPO) was a statutory provision in
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
law which affected benefits paid by the
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...
. It was repealed by the
Social Security Fairness Act
The Social Security Fairness Act is a United States law that repealed the Social Security Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision. The bill passed the House in November 2024 and then passed the Senate in December. It was s ...
of 2023 (H.R. 82), which President Biden signed on January 5, 2025. It reduced
spousal and
widow(er) Social Security retirement benefits in situations where the spouse did not pay Social Security taxes on their employment earnings. Many state and local government employees and other non-covered pension recipients do not contribute to the Social Security system. One exception to this provision occurred when the spouse was receiving a foreign pension for a different country, in which case the Government Pension Offset was not applied (unlike the Windfall Elimination Provision, which also applied to foreign pensions and benefits that the number holder received). This was in contrast to the
Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduced Social Security benefits of the actual number holder on whose Social Security record the claim was filed.
Effects on benefits
Social security benefits were reduced by two-thirds of the non-covered government pension amount.
Note this was not two-thirds of the Social Security benefit; for example, a $600 non-covered pension benefit would have reduced Social Security spousal benefits by $400, regardless of whether the spouse was entitled to $500 or $1000 on the Social Security record of the number holder.
See also
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Retirement Insurance Benefits
Retirement Insurance Benefits (abbreviated RIB) or old-age insurance benefits are a form of social insurance payments made by the U.S. Social Security Administration paid based upon the attainment of old age (62 or older). Benefit payments are ma ...
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Disability Insurance Benefits
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) is a payroll tax-funded federal insurance program of the United States government. It is managed by the Social Security Administration and designed to provide monthly benefits to people who ha ...
*
Windfall Elimination Provision
Notes
External links
www.ssa.govAlternate- Official website of the Social Security Administration
{{ssusa
Social security in the United States