A new plan that could raise the monthly payout for millions of Social Security recipients was sponsored and passed by the House of Representatives. This is the Social Security Fairness Act, which is now being discussed by the Senate and has bipartisan support.

The Social Security Fairness Act

This bill, which was filed by Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Louisiana Republican Garret Graves, would eliminate two federal laws that presently restrict Social Security benefits for almost 2.8 million Americans who work in federal, state, and municipal positions.

A bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives supported the millions of Americans who worked a second job to make ends meet or started a second career to support their families after retiring from public service by passing the Social Security Fairness Act, according to a joint statement with the president.

Hundreds of thousands of spouses, widows, and widowers are denied their spouse’s benefits because they decided to serve in the military, yet a bipartisan majority of the US House of Representatives voted to give them a secure retirement.

Which clauses was it repealing? The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

For those who receive non-covered pensions and are eligible for Social Security benefits based on other Social Security-covered earnings, the SSA defines the WEP as a method used to modify Social Security worker payments.

A non-covered pension is paid by an employer that does not deduct Social Security taxes from your paycheck, such as state and municipal governments or employers outside of the United States. Approximately 2 million persons are currently impacted by this clause.

For those who receive non-covered pensions, the GPO adjusts Social Security spousal or widower benefits. Approximately 800,000 retirees are impacted by this rule.

Removing the bill would make it possible to:

• Repeal provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government.
• Eliminate the government pension offset, which can reduce Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own.
• Eliminate the windfall elimination provision, which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes.

By boosting benefits for individuals already covered by the WEP and GPO, all of these policies would assist regular Americans in making ends meet.

The bad news is that this bill will further exacerbate the Social Security deficit by increasing federal deficits by $195 billion over a ten-year period, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

In any case, Graves explains, there has been discrimination against a particular group of workers and different treatment of people for 40 years. He said they are neither overpaid nor underworked.

The president must sign the plan into law after it has not been put to a Senate vote, so even with the House triumph, there is still more work to be done to make sure it passes with the least amount of disturbance.

Along with Senate sponsors Susan Collins, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, Spanberger and Graves urged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to allow the bill to be put to a vote.

Americans impacted by the provisions are being punished for helping and defending our family and neighbors, educating our children, caring for our veterans, carrying our mail, and more, they said passionately.

See also: SSI payment schedule for cheques totaling $943 or $967 for December and January

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