Provisions of the Social Security Act that reduce benefits for more than 2 million Americans working in the public sector would be eliminated under bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Tuesday.
The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal provisions of the Social Security Act that prevent public sector workers like police officers, firefighters and teachers from receiving full Social Security benefits.
“I have heard from numerous public servants, such as retired teachers and police officers, who have dedicated their professional careers to public service and whose retirement benefits are reduced due to the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision,” Collins. “I held the first Senate oversight hearing on this issue and have continued to work to correct it. Our bipartisan legislation would eliminate these unfair provisions that have enormous financial implications for many federal, state and local employees.”
The Government Pension Offset reduces Social Security benefits to spouses, widows or widowers if Social Security taxes weren’t paid on retirement or disability pensions offered through federal, state or local governments.
The Windfall Elimination Provision, meanwhile, affects how Social Security calculates retirement and disability benefits for those who work for employers, like government agencies, that don’t withhold Social Security taxes from their salaries.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who cosponsored the bill with Collins, said public workers who taught children and kept communities safe deserve to retire with full Social Security benefits.
“It’s not just about the workers — their families suffer the consequences of reduced benefits, too,” Brown said. “This small fix will help these workers and their families have the peace of mind that their Social Security benefits will be there for them when they retire from a life dedicated to serving our communities.”