The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives recently passed the IAM-endorsed Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), which would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) laws that reduce or even eliminate Social Security benefits for millions of public sector workers. President Biden has signed the legislation into law.
The GPO and WEP unfairly reduce Social Security benefits for retirees who receive a public pension or the spouse or survivor of a Social Security beneficiary who worked in a job not covered by the Social Security program.
By passing the Social Security Fairness Act, Congress voted to fix two unfair provisions that are currently being used to calculate benefits.
“No one should face financial hardship in retirement because of outdated and unfair policies,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “Passing the Social Security Fairness Act is a crucial step toward justice for millions of Americans who deserve the benefits they’ve earned.”
The GPO and WEP cause an unnecessary hardship for 2.8 million retired and disabled Americans. It is fundamentally unjust that public employees who earned Social Security credits and benefits through non-government employment cannot receive the full benefits from their work.
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