Will Social Security 'be there' for our teachers?

By NEA-Alaska President Bill Bjork
November AKtivist 2007

The answer to the title question today is an emphatic, “NO!” At least for the time being. Upon retirement, teachers (and most other Alaska public employees) get hit by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

These “offsets” became law in 1977 when Congress decided to equate government pensions with Social Security. The WEP and GPO penalize people who have dedicated their lives to public service by taking away benefits they have EARNED!

 What is the Windfall Elimination Provision? The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for retired and disabled teachers who receive pensions from non-Social Security employment. For example, your TRS pension will cause you to lose a significant portion of the Social Security benefits you’ve earned during your summer jobs, or your private sector career pre- or post-teaching.

The Government Pension Offset reduces the Social Security survivor benefits paid to the spouse and minor children of a Social Security-eligible teacher who has died. Nine out of 10 public employees affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit, even though their spouse paid Social Security taxes for many years.

Too often, the very existence of these GPO and WEP provisions comes as a nasty surprise at the end of a long and dedicated career. The “gotcha” clauses can wreak havoc on years of careful retirement planning – and force some retirees into poverty.

In addition to Alaska, teachers and other public employees in 14 other states are also impacted.

The GPO and WEP have become serious impediments to recruiting and retaining teachers (and police officers and firefighters) to Alaska. In 2004, at the request of NEA-Alaska, the Alaska Legislature recognized the unfairness of the GPO and WEP offsets when it unanimously passed House Joint Resolution 30 calling for the repeal of the offsets. The Alaska Legislature asked the Alaska Congressional delegation to sign on the bipartisan effort to repeal the GPO and WEP.

In both houses of Congress the Social Security Fairness Act (HR 82/S.206) has been reintroduced to repeal the GPO and WEP. The bills currently have 324 bipartisan co-sponsors in the house (out of 435 members) and 35 bipartisan co-sponsors in the Senate. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young have signed on their respective versions of the bill. That leaves only Sen. Ted Stevens, who has thus far refused to support our position.

WHAT CAN YOU DO to help put pressure on Senator Stevens? Contact the senator and tell your personal story – how will the offsets impact you? Tell him it’s long past time for Congress to repeal these unfair penalties for the public service you are providing our nation by teaching its children.