This CalRTA BLOG promotes
Social Security Fairness and Solvency.
Social Security Fairness and Solvency.
We encourage viewers to add comments to these pages.
We seek personal hardships stories created by
the Social Security penalties: WEP/GPO.
the Social Security penalties: WEP/GPO.
Teachers are often hurt by what are called “public servant penalties” in Social Security – the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.
Background
Originally, the Social Security system excluded state and local government employees from coverage. In 1954, state and local employees were given the opportunity to elect to participate in the Social Security program. California public school educators chose not to join because they were paying for better disability and survivor benefits than what would have been provided by Social Security.
However, many CalSTRS members and other government workers are eligible for Social Security benefits because they had other employment that was covered by Social Security or by being married to a Social Security recipient.
