GPO, WEP Issues Get Another Hearing

The Senate Finance Committee has conducted the latest in a series of hearings on the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset, two provisions of Social Security law that, respectively, reduced the earned Social Security benefits and the spousal/survivor Social Security benefits of those who also are drawing a benefit from a retirement system that does not include Social Security coverage, such as the federal CSRS system and some state and local government systems. Several measures to soften or repeal those reductions are again pending before Congress, but as in past years while the bills have gathered cosponsors, they have not advanced in the legislative process. As at past hearings, testimony stressed that the GPO in some cases eliminates a spousal or survivor benefit and that the reductions disproportionately affect lower-income beneficiaries.