The SSA website is SO confusing about this!!! I spent hours trying to understand the rules for my mom. They seriously need to hire people who can explain things clearly!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel much more confident in the advice I'm giving her now. I'll make sure she understands: 1. Take her own benefit now at 65 ($670/month) 2. If her husband passes before her FRA, decide whether to take reduced survivor benefits immediately or wait until FRA for the full amount 3. The decision will depend on her financial needs and the exact reduction amount The differentiation between FRA for retirement vs. survivor benefits is something I hadn't considered - I'll make sure she asks specifically about that at the SSA office. This has been incredibly helpful!

dont forget about the one-time death payment from ss too. its only $255 but better than nothing

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to gather all my documents (death certificate, marriage certificate, pension statements, etc.) and apply for survivor benefits right away. It sounds like even with the GPO reduction, I should still receive a significant portion of my husband's benefit. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service if I have trouble getting through to Social Security. It's such a relief to know I won't have to rely solely on my small pension.

my uncle had his ss cut because of his state job pension! he was a teacher and didnt pay ss taxes so thats why. sounds like your fine if you paid ss taxes. govmnt rules are so confusing!!!!!

Since your case seems clear (no WEP because you paid Social Security taxes while earning your pension), the only other thing to check is if any portion of your 28 years at the company might have been exempt from Social Security taxes. Some companies switched plans during certain time periods. Might be worth checking your W-2s from those earliest years just to be 100% certain. But it sounds like you're fine!

Just to add my personal experience - my mom retired from teaching after 24 years, but had worked retail for about 12 years before that. Her Social Security benefit was reduced from about $1100 to around $650 per month because of WEP. She was devastated because she'd been counting on having both income streams. The current system really punishes people who switch careers.

Something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: The WEP reduction has a maximum cap. For 2025, the maximum WEP reduction is $578 per month (up from $558 in 2024). Additionally, the reduction cannot be more than half of the pension from non-covered employment. Also, if your brother-in-law had years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security, the WEP reduction is gradually lessened. With 21+ years of substantial earnings, the reduction starts decreasing, and at 30+ years of substantial earnings, WEP doesn't apply at all. Regarding recent legislative proposals, some would phase out WEP entirely while others would replace it with a proportional formula that more fairly represents a person's actual earnings history. The most recent serious movement was in the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act, which would provide relief payments to current retirees affected by WEP and establish a new formula for future retirees.

Everyone's talking about GPO but what about WEP??? My brother-in-law had both government pension and SS and lost almost ALL his SS because of Windfall Elimination Provision! It's so unfair how they calculate these things! They're basically penalizing people TWICE for working government jobs!

Thank you all for the helpful information! I made an appointment at our local SSA office for next month to apply for the spousal benefits. I'll make sure we bring documentation for both pensions. I'm glad to hear the VA disability pension doesn't count toward the GPO - that gives us a better chance of getting something extra. I really appreciate everyone's advice!