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Congressman trying to change Soc. Sec. law for LEO's
Please read this and then call you congressman to get them on board. LEO's are getting screwed by the Soc. Sec. dept.
TO: CA-FOP Lodge 18 Members
FROM: Tom Dominguez – President
DATE: June 2, 2015
RE: HR 711
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As a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, CA-FOP Lodge 18 (AOCDS) is strongly supporting HR 711, the “Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act,” which would repeal the Windf all Elimination Provision (WEP) and replace it with a more equitable and individualized calculation of Social Security benefits. The bill is sponsored by Congressman Kevin P. Brady (R-Texas).
Repealing the WEP and the Government Pension Offset, are legislative priorities for the Fraternal Order of Police and it’s more than 330,000 members.
This is an issue of fairness.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU: If you had a job which required you to pay into Social Security prior to becoming a law enforcement officer OR you plan to have a job which requires you to pay into Social Security following your law enforcement career you will lose up to 60% of your Social Security Benefit. H.R. 711 will correct that inequity and ensure you receive the Social Security benefit which you helped fund and to which you are entitled.
The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset rules were enacted in 1983 as part of comprehensive Social Security reform law. Congress approved the provisions to prevent what was perceived as “a windfall” for people who worked at a job not covered by Social Security – such as public employees – and who also held other jobs where they paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify for Social Security benefits.
The WEP drastically reduces the Social Security benefit earned by a worker. The GPO is a related provision that reduces Social Security benefits paid to spouses or survivors when the spouse or survivor earned a pension from a government job that was not covered by Social Security.
The WEP has created a significant issue for public employees – notably law enforcement officers – who retire from public service earlier than many other employees and take another job which requires them to pay into Social Security. Police officers who chose to have a second career are now faced with a 60% reduction in their Social Security benefits. They paid into the system and they should be entitled to the full benefits they earned.
Congressman Brady’s legislation repeals the WEP and would require benefits be calculated using the standard Social Security benefit formula. The Social Security benefit would be multiplied by the percentage of wages subject to Social Security taxes, ensuring that only wages earned while paying into Social Security would be counted toward the benefit.
The WEP and the GPO have been a priority for CA-FOP Lodge 18 (AOCDS) and we have lobbied our representatives in Washington repeatedly to address these important issues. We applaud Congressman Brady’s much-needed efforts to correct this inequity and stand with the rest of our brothers and sisters of the Fraternal Order of Police in support of H.R. 711, the “Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act.”
Thank you.
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Tom Dominguez
TO: CA-FOP Lodge 18 Members
FROM: Tom Dominguez – President
DATE: June 2, 2015
RE: HR 711
Repealing the WEP and the Government Pension Offset, are legislative priorities for the Fraternal Order of Police and it’s more than 330,000 members.
This is an issue of fairness.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU: If you had a job which required you to pay into Social Security prior to becoming a law enforcement officer OR you plan to have a job which requires you to pay into Social Security following your law enforcement career you will lose up to 60% of your Social Security Benefit. H.R. 711 will correct that inequity and ensure you receive the Social Security benefit which you helped fund and to which you are entitled.
The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset rules were enacted in 1983 as part of comprehensive Social Security reform law. Congress approved the provisions to prevent what was perceived as “a windfall” for people who worked at a job not covered by Social Security – such as public employees – and who also held other jobs where they paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify for Social Security benefits.
The WEP drastically reduces the Social Security benefit earned by a worker. The GPO is a related provision that reduces Social Security benefits paid to spouses or survivors when the spouse or survivor earned a pension from a government job that was not covered by Social Security.
The WEP has created a significant issue for public employees – notably law enforcement officers – who retire from public service earlier than many other employees and take another job which requires them to pay into Social Security. Police officers who chose to have a second career are now faced with a 60% reduction in their Social Security benefits. They paid into the system and they should be entitled to the full benefits they earned.
Congressman Brady’s legislation repeals the WEP and would require benefits be calculated using the standard Social Security benefit formula. The Social Security benefit would be multiplied by the percentage of wages subject to Social Security taxes, ensuring that only wages earned while paying into Social Security would be counted toward the benefit.
The WEP and the GPO have been a priority for CA-FOP Lodge 18 (AOCDS) and we have lobbied our representatives in Washington repeatedly to address these important issues. We applaud Congressman Brady’s much-needed efforts to correct this inequity and stand with the rest of our brothers and sisters of the Fraternal Order of Police in support of H.R. 711, the “Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act.”
Thank you.
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Not only that....but that law enforcement officer's spouse, who works in the private sector paying social security, will also lose most of their social security benefits, since their spouse is enjoying that 'windfall' of a pension. Total BS. Makes my wife so mad!
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418 Posts
That would be good news for me, I have been penalized 2/3 because I have a police pension. Tough to get a ahead with everything going up in price, my income is not going up. I am recently widowed, and they even penalize me 2/3 collecting on my Wife's SS that she paid in for over 38 years.
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Let's show some compassion here. They have to finance all those votes they buy from the sick, lame and lazy somehow..... :steamed:
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9,032 Posts
It might make some consider a divorce if only on paper.
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6,665 Posts
Finally a congressman has addressed this injustice and has a bill to correct it. It's our job to spread the word and show support for the bill. Call your congressman and tell them to support this bill (and get a response from them as to their position on this). Email your local police depts and let them know about it. Contact any retired LEO groups that you know of.
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A little lite reading... It may make your head hurt..... For some reason, the links from ssa.gov don't come through... Search Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v74n3/v74n3p55.html
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.18/handbook-1836.html
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v74n3/v74n3p55.html
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.18/handbook-1836.html
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6,665 Posts
Here is the website with all the info. Save this to your "favorites" and it will be easy to check on the bill's progress.
www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/711
www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/711
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10,030 Posts
I'm not sure that is correct.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v74n3/v74n3p55.html
That reads to me that the retired public pensioner won't get survivor benefits from a private sector spouse's account. The Windfall Elimination works against the public employee, not the private sector spouse. You wife should still be eligible for her SS (assuming she paid in for 40 quarters or more).
At least that's the way I read it! I've been wrong before...
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