Georgians at Risk: This Federal Law Could Wipe Out Social Security for Thousands!
For decades, thousands of public workers like teachers, firefighters, and police officers in Georgia have faced unexpected financial setbacks due to a federal law called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
Introduced in 1983, WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pensions from jobs that didn’t pay Social Security taxes, even if they contributed to Social Security through other employment.
Take the case of Verdaillia Turner, a retired Atlanta schoolteacher who also worked various jobs since she was 16. Turner assumed she would receive the full Social Security benefits she paid into but was shocked to learn that WEP would cut her payout significantly.
“What happens is that we are unduly penalized. We don’t get the money that we paid into,” Turner explained. She is one of 50,000 to 70,000 Georgians impacted by this law.
The Windfall Elimination Provision isn’t the only issue. Coupled with the Government Pension Offset (GPO), these regulations affect nearly 3 million Americans.
While these laws were designed to prevent “double-dipping” on pensions and Social Security, critics argue they unfairly punish hardworking individuals who often worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.
This month, the House of Representatives passed the Social Security Fairness Act in a rare bipartisan effort to eliminate WEP and GPO.
The bill’s supporters, such as Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA), emphasized the decades of inequity caused by these provisions. “This has been 40 years of treating people differently,” Graves remarked.
Public workers, like retired postal worker Ron Bonasso, have also faced financial challenges tied to WEP. Now working two jobs in retirement, Bonasso is struggling to pay back a $7,500 overpayment caused by the provision.
“There’s a whole bunch of us who have been retired all these years, who have gotten screwed by Social Security,” he said.
The Social Security Fairness Act has gained significant support, with 63 cosponsors in the Senate, including Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
However, the proposal faces challenges, as eliminating WEP and GPO could cost billions of dollars and add pressure to the already strained Social Security trust fund.
Despite these concerns, the bill has given hope to those like Turner and Bonasso, who believe their contributions deserve fair treatment. Advocates argue that repealing these provisions would restore trust and fairness for public workers who have spent their lives serving their communities.
The fate of the Social Security Fairness Act now rests with the Senate. If passed, it could mark a turning point for millions of Americans who’ve long been penalized for working jobs outside the Social Security system.
Until then, individuals like Turner, Bonasso, and countless others must wait to see if justice will finally be served for their years of hard work and contributions.