Join NARFE’s WEP and GPO Call-to-Action
On Monday, NARFE National President William “Bill” Shackelford wrote to every returning House member who previously cosponsored H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), urging their renewed support. The bill was reintroduced on January 9 by Rep. Garret Graves, R-LA, joined by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-VA.
The WEP and GPO both penalize individuals who have dedicated their careers to public service and their spouses by taking away the Social Security benefits they have earned. The WEP affects over 2 million beneficiaries while the GPO affects over 723,000 people, 48 percent of whom are widows/widowers and 52 percent of whom are spouses.
People who work tirelessly to earn retirement income and benefits, whether through Social Security covered employment or paying a tax toward an annuity, shouldn’t be penalized for working hard and deserve to collect all of it when they retire. If you are affected by the WEP and GPO, join NARFE’s call-to-action and urge your representative to cosponsor this critical bill if he or she is not yet a cosponsor.
To learn more about the WEP and GPO, consult NARFE’s issue brief.
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