Q. I have been a retired NSA employee since 2000 and have a CSRS annuity paid to me monthly. My husband, age 62, and is now collecting Social Security. I also have enough quarters of private-sector employment to permit me to collect Social Security. Am I eligible to collect spousal Social Security monthly?
A. Because you are receiving an annuity from CSRS, a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, any Social Security spousal benefit to which you are entitled will be affected by the government pension offset provision of law. The GPO will reduce that benefit by $2 for every $3 you receive in your annuity. Note: As a CSRS annuitant, your Social Security benefit will be affected by the windfall elimination provision. The WEP reduces but does not eliminate that benefit if you have fewer that 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security.