CBS19: Thousands respond to survey on Social Security benefits provisions

CBS19

More than 2,700 public servants have responded to a survey regarding unfair reduction or elimination of Social Security benefits.

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger wanted to hear from federal employees, first responders, local government employees, and retirees about the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset and the impacts these policies have had on them.

She recently relaunched an online survey, and in less than a week, more than 2,700 responses came in on the issue.

“Virginians and Americans across our country who have dedicated their careers to public service deserve the retirement benefits they paid into, just like everybody else. But for more than 40 years, federal employees, police officers, firefighters, and local government employees have been unfairly penalized for their service to our communities,” said Spanberger. “Since relaunching my survey last week, I have heard from thousands of public servants whose Social Security benefits have been slashed by the WEP or the GPO. These responses underscore the real impacts of these unfair provisions on Virginians and illustrate why I’m working to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on my bipartisan legislation to eliminate these unfair provisions and protect the Social Security benefits of all Americans.”

Spanberger’s office explains the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset are provisions in the Social Security Act. They reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for Americans and their spouses who have devoted years to public service but also earned pensions that did not withhold Social Security taxes from other forms of employment.

These provisions can cut a person’s monthly payment by hundreds of dollars.

Spanberger’s survey has received responses from people who say they are being “penalized for serving [their] country as a federal employee.”

This week, Spanberger and Congressman Garret Graves of Louisiana announced they would file a discharge petition, which will force the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on their bill eliminating these provisions from the Social Security Act.

The petition will be filed when Congress returns to Washington, D.C. next month.