Does my government pension lower my Social Security?

Rules checked October 17, 2026, against ssa.gov

What changed

Two rules used to reduce Social Security for people who also got a pension from a job that didn't pay Social Security tax:

• The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) could lower your own Social Security retirement benefit.
• The Government Pension Offset (GPO) could lower or wipe out a spouse's or widow(er)'s benefit.

The Social Security Fairness Act ended both. Social Security says they no longer apply to benefits payable for January 2024 and later (SSA: Social Security Fairness Act).

What it means for you

• Your Social Security is figured the same way as everyone else's, from your 35 highest years of earnings that paid Social Security tax.
• If your public job didn't pay Social Security tax, those years still don't count toward your Social Security. They count toward your pension instead.
• A spouse or widow(er) benefit is no longer reduced by your own government pension.
• You still need 40 credits, about 10 years of work, to qualify for your own retirement benefit (SSA: credits).

Many public employees were never affected

If your public job paid Social Security tax, as most Oregon PERS jobs and all FERS jobs do, WEP and GPO usually didn't apply to you in the first place. Check your pay stub for "Social Security" or "OASDI".

Check your record

Your Social Security statement at ssa.gov/myaccount shows your earnings history and your estimated benefit at 62, your full retirement age and 70.