Q. I worked in high school and through college paying into Social Security and earned 28 quarters. From 1974 to 2009, I worked under CSRS and paid no Social Security. Upon retirement, I collected my monthly annuity from CSRS, then started working in private sector and will get my 40 quarters in January. I turned 62 in October. How is the reduction computed for my monthly Social Security payments? My monthly retirement is around $6,500 from CSRS.
A. Your Social Security benefit will be affected by the windfall elimination provision. The WEP reduces the benefit of anyone who is receiving an annuity from a retirement system where he didn’t pay Social Security taxes, such as CSRS, and has fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. To find out how your Social Security benefit would be affected, go to www.ssa.gov/pubs/10045.html.
