Will WEP/GPO Repeal Increase Your Social Security Benefits?

by Prof. Robert Bloink and Prof. William H. Byrnes

For decades, clients who worked in various state and local government positions have seen their Social Security benefits slashed because of two key provisions: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). Each of those rules reduced Social Security benefits based on an individual’s participation in a government-sponsored pension plan. As the name suggests, the provisions were enacted to prevent government workers from receiving “windfall” Social Security benefits in addition to their government retirement benefits. Early in 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law and repealed each of those two provisions completely. Clients who worked in government positions at any point in their careers should carefully review their retirement planning strategies to determine whether they continue to make sense considering changes to their Social Security payments.

WEP/GPO Repeal: Background