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On public employees not participating in Social Security
At the AMAC Foundation, the Social Security Advisory staff regularly hears complaints from teachers and other public service employees who have been affected by Social Security’s Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). These two provisions reduce Social Security benefits for anyone who receives a pension from Public Service employment that did not participate in the Social Security program, and who also had a 2nd career in employment that did participate thus making them eligible for Social Security benefits in addition to their public service pension. Teachers and other public service employees in 15 U.S. states, including the State of Illinois, don’t pay Social Security payroll taxes but instead contribute to their State-sponsored (and usually more lucrative) retirement plan. In this Forbes article by Elizabeth Bauer, the author examines the Illinois public service retirement system (which is severely underfunded) and promotes the thesis that all such plans should be abandoned in favor of participating in Social Security. Click here to read more.
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