The Southern Fairfield County Retired Teachers’ Association contacted congress to discuss the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision. The letter below represents the request for follow-up as we work to get answers for retired Connecticut teachers.
Dear President Trump:
I want to thank you in advance for your office’s willingness to respond to our letter asking that you help us, and all retired teachers in Connecticut in securing the repeal of the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision. Your response publicly to keep cuts out of Social Security and Medicare is very important, but we have not seen any acknowledgement of the disaster the WEP and GPO causes.
Depending on their spouse’s Social Security benefits, a married person with average benefits can lose 18-30 percent of his/her total retirement income (Social Security spousal benefits and public pension) or 25-40 percent of his/her total income (pension and survivor benefits) when the spouse dies because of the Government Provision Offset. The same holds true for men who have dependent spouses with family contributions to FICA. The GPO is devastating in its effects.
Social Security benefits are a critical lifeline for the majority of retirees and particularly for members of vulnerable groups, who are less likely to be able to save for retirement. The taxes paid into the funds are their saving for retirement.
Rhoda Dix
for SFCRTA
SFCRTA@gmail.com