Q: I have been unable to identify if there is an exception to the windfall elimination provisions that will allow me simultaneous entitlement to a CSRS annuity and to full or non-reduced Social Security benefits. I assume
that Social Security benefits are not subject to reduction under the windfall elimination provisions if the credits earned were earned as a
federal employee and during the time period (15 years) in which the credits were earned, I made no payments into any other retirement system. I think that benefits earned under the CSRS system were earned during a time period (20 years) when I made no contributions to the Social Security trust fund. The facts are that I am a CSRS annuitant, I also earned 60 Social Security credit hours employed by the federal government in which both the federal government and I paid into the Social Security
trust fund for the hours earned and during which I was paying into no other retirement system other than Social Security. There were two separate periods of time associated with his situation: 20 years payment into the CSRS system and approximately 15 years paying into Social Security as a federal employee. Can Social Security payments be reduced where the Social Security credits earned were earned as a federal employee and no payments were made into the CSRS system, or any other retirement system, during the time the payments made?
A. No. To see how and why the windfall elimination provision is applied and what the exceptions are to it, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html.
