The Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025.
The Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits of over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a “non-covered pension”) because they did not pay Social Security taxes. This law increases Social Security benefits for certain types of workers, including some:
- teachers, firefighters, and police officers in many states.
- federal employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System; and
- people whose work had been covered by a foreign social security system.
Please note: Most members of StanCERA (except for Keyes CSD) are covered under both the County Employees Retirement Act of 1937 (“the 1937 Act”), and the Federal Social Security program.
Our retirement system is integrated with Social Security, which means that our plan’s benefits and contributions are reduced in acknowledgment that you are covered under both StanCERA and Social Security programs. Integration allows our members to enjoy both the benefits of their public pension and earned social security benefits without a penalty.
If you are a StanCERA member who did not work for any other government employer, THIS LAW WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT. If you worked for a government employer that was not covered by social security and you are receiving a reduction, you may see an increase in your social security payment.
If you would like to learn more about the steps the Social Security Administration (SSA) is taking to implement the law, select the link below.
https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.html?tl=0
