Q. I retired as a CSRS offset employee. My entire federal pension is based solely on nine-plus years under CSRS offset. I paid Social Security taxes during those years. I have no pension for any years in which I did not pay Social Security taxes. Social Security now wants to impose a windfall elimination provision reduction of $143 a month. Since I paid Social Security taxes on my government earnings while paying CSRS offset I do not think WEP should apply.
A. To be exempt from the windfall elimination provision, you would have to have 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. Since you don’t, the WEP will reduce your Social Security benefit.