WEP and GPO Repeal: What It Means for Washington DRS Retirees

Both Provisions Are Repealed

The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), signed into law January 5, 2025, permanently eliminated both the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. The repeal applies retroactively to Social Security benefits payable from January 2024 forward. SSA began paying retroactive adjustments in February 2025, and implementation is complete.

Any resource — pension handbook, financial advisor blog, union newsletter, Reddit post — that describes WEP or GPO as active reductions is outdated. Neither provision applies to any Social Security benefit calculated today.

What WEP and GPO Used to Do

The Windfall Elimination Provision reduced Social Security retirement benefits for people who earned a pension from employment not covered by Social Security. It used a modified benefit formula that could cut hundreds of dollars from the monthly Social Security payment.

The Government Pension Offset reduced Social Security spousal and survivor benefits by two-thirds of the government pension amount. For many public employees, this completely eliminated their Social Security spousal or survivor benefit.

Why Most Washington DRS Members Were Not Directly Affected

Most PERS, TRS and SERS members in Washington have paid into Social Security throughout their careers — Washington state employment is generally covered under Social Security through state participation agreements. WEP and GPO primarily applied to members who had prior non-covered public employment in another state, or who were seeking Social Security spousal or survivor benefits based on a spouse's earnings history while also receiving their own government pension.

But the confusion was widespread. Financial advisors routinely warned all Washington public employees about WEP and GPO reductions, and union workshop materials included the provisions in standard pre-retirement checklists. The result was unnecessary anxiety and, in some cases, members who never filed for Social Security benefits they were entitled to — because they assumed the provisions would wipe out the payment.

Action Required: Never-Applicants Must File

If you previously did not apply for Social Security spousal, survivor or divorced-spouse benefits because WEP or GPO would have zeroed them out, you need to submit a new application directly to SSA. The automatic retroactive adjustments only went to people who were already receiving reduced benefits. SSA does not automatically identify or enroll people who never applied.

Contact SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office. Filing a new application lets SSA determine whether you qualify for benefits without WEP or GPO reductions — and depending on when you became eligible, you may receive back payments.

What Has Not Changed

The repeal of WEP and GPO does not change anything about your Washington DRS pension. Your pension formula, benefit options, early retirement factors, PEBB health insurance eligibility, and Plan 3 distribution rules are all state-level provisions that operate independently of Social Security. State pension plan-level offsets (such as Plan 1's 30-year benefit cap) remain fully in effect — these are plan provisions, not the repealed federal offsets.

Get the complete Washington DRS Retirement Guide for the full Social Security coordination section, including post-repeal action steps for never-applicants and the timeline for SSA claims.

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