Feb 1, 2009

Congressmen Want Action On Offsets

From Government Executive:

An old fight resumed on Thursday when two House lawmakers unveiled legislation that would ease the burden of two Social Security laws that significantly reduce benefits for some public sector retirees.

The bill (H.R. 235), introduced by Reps. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Howard (Buck) McKeon, R-Calif., would repeal two provisions in Social Security law -- the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision -- that reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for federal employees who entered the government before 1984 and are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System. Employees in CSRS [Civil Service Retirement System] do not pay into Social Security and receive a government pension instead.

There is almost no change that the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Offset will be eliminated, but it is not inconceivable that there could be some modification. I am merely saying it is conceivable, not saying it is likely.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing like bipartisan stupidity. Cuts need to be made and these fools what to increase benefits.

Anonymous said...

Yea, a retired federal employee getting an oversized pension gets to masquerade as a former low-wage worker for PIA computation purposes. And the SS system is going broke.

All politicians are idiots.

Anonymous said...

I worked for 30 years for the USPS and do receive a civil service pension. However I also worked and paid into Social Security before starting work for the USPS. I cannot get Social Security benefits even though I paid into it. My husband is retired under SSD. Most spouses would be eligible for half their spouses anuity but because I have a civil service annuity I cannot.