social security

Dear Congress Member Woolsey:

We have just learned that there are two bills pending that would repeal provisions of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Both the GPO and WEP penalize workers who paid into Social Security during their working lives, and are prevented from receiving full Social Security benefits on their earnings by GPO and WEP.)

Social Security is an insurance program. The premiums (payments)  are deducted from a worker’s paycheck, matched by the workers’ employer, and sent to our government  by the employer. Payments are based on percentage of total wages paid up to a yearly limit mandated by law. These payments are held in a government Trust Fund until they are returned, monthly, to the covered employee in an amount determined by law. The amount is based on the age said employee began to pay into Social Security and the age of his or her retirement. The retirees are prevented from receiving all benefits by two laws.

Both GPO and WEP penalize retirees unfairly by reducing Social Security benefits they have earned and paid for during their working lives.

Two bills have been introduced in the Congress to remedy these injustices. They are: H.R. 235, which would repeal provisions of the GPO and WEP as applied to Social Security. Introduced by Rep. Howard Berman on January 7, 2009, it is co-sponsored by 194 members of the House of Representatives and  is now in t he House Ways and Means Committee.

Respectfully,

O.G. Grimes and Elizabeth E.  Grimes
Petaluma, CA 94954

 

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