- Home
- Social Security Info
- Senator Cantwell on the Social Security Windfall Tax
Senator Cantwell on the Social Security Windfall Tax
- By Jerry Taylor
- Published 09/20/2009
- Social Security Info
Dear Mrs. Newsom,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 484). I appreciate hearing from you on this issue and sincerely regret the delayed response.
As you may be aware, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) was enacted in 1983 as part of a large reform package designed to shore up the financing of the Social Security system. The windfall benefit provision reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also receive pension benefits from other employment not covered by Social Security, such as the Federal Civil Retirement System. Public employees often have salaries that are lower than those in the private sector, and the windfall reduction makes it more difficult to recruit employees into these positions. The WEP threatens the financial viability of public-employee retirees and their spouses.
You may be pleased to learn that I am a cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 484), which was introduced on February 25, 2009. If enacted, this bill would eliminate the WEP and allow qualified government workers to receive the full benefits they deserve. This bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, of which I am a member, for further review. Please be assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.
Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator
For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website at
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 484). I appreciate hearing from you on this issue and sincerely regret the delayed response.
As you may be aware, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) was enacted in 1983 as part of a large reform package designed to shore up the financing of the Social Security system. The windfall benefit provision reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also receive pension benefits from other employment not covered by Social Security, such as the Federal Civil Retirement System. Public employees often have salaries that are lower than those in the private sector, and the windfall reduction makes it more difficult to recruit employees into these positions. The WEP threatens the financial viability of public-employee retirees and their spouses.
You may be pleased to learn that I am a cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 484), which was introduced on February 25, 2009. If enacted, this bill would eliminate the WEP and allow qualified government workers to receive the full benefits they deserve. This bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, of which I am a member, for further review. Please be assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.
Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator
For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website at
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Spread The Word
Related Articles
12 Responses to "Senator Cantwell on the Social Security Windfall Tax" 
|
said this on 07 Jan 2010 8:52:06 AM PST
Thank you for your work and effort in eliminating this unfair act that effects so many retires!
|
Author/Admin)|
said this on 16 Mar 2010 10:25:13 AM PST
I strongly agree with your reply. I'am a retired Detroit Police Officer and had thirty years of service. Since retirement I have worked for the past ten years and have obtained enough credits for social security only to find out that I will be penalized thirty percent. Any further information you could share about the elimination of the SS Windfall Tax would be appreciated.
|
|
said this on 04 Jun 2010 10:21:26 AM PST
To: Maria Cantwell
United States Senator The retirement i get from another agency comes nowhere close to keeping up with my monthly expense, and my social security due to this windfall tax was cut just about in half. Every so often, i must find a part time job to make ends meet. I full agree, this is an unfair act, and please continue to fight for it to be eliminated. Otis Blanson. |
|
said this on 24 Jun 2010 8:04:37 AM PST
I am a widow who recieves survivors ss and a va pension as my deceased husband was a veteran.. I worked in the Ohio public schol system for 15 years.. I left this money with them to let it grow for a nest egg for me and my husband.. Now that I want to take it the ss people tel me I will lose 67 percent of what it amount to off my ss. So I decided to retire . Ohio says I can tekw a lump sum of about $44000.00 So after I pay income tax,25 percent, which I am ok with the ss wants to take 67% which will leave me with about $3500.00 . So I would have been better off not going to college and getting my degree, not teaching for 15 yrs in public schools and 10 years in the private sector.. Congress is killing the American Dream
|
|
said this on 07 Sep 2010 4:21:45 PM PST
I worked all my quarters and I also retired from federal civil service. I had no idea that I would be penalized for working so hard. Please continue to work on trying to get this overturned and keep me informed, please and thank you!
|
|
said this on 07 Sep 2010 5:39:27 PM PST
Please note this link. Send Senator Cantwell a not and ask her what is taking so long.
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html |
|
said this on 06 Feb 2011 6:32:54 AM PST
Dear Senator Cantwell,
Why is it taking so long for social security fairness? I worked for a school system for 25 years. I will LOSE my full portion of social security that I should have been entitled to because I WORKED. Why are people who WORK and earn being punished? Please let me know of your progress and THANK YOU! |
|
said this on 06 Feb 2011 9:08:33 AM PST
I think you should appeal to the Senator directly. Frankly I can't see either of them doing anything except pay lipservice tothe concept.
|
|
said this on 09 Mar 2011 9:02:05 PM PST
I am affected by the ss windfall tax. I think it is very unfair to people who worked and earned their ss. If it is to be fixed I think these things would recapture the lost funds for the gov. 1. If a spouse wants to receive half of their spouses ss, they should put in extra money to provide for this payment. 2. If a spouse wants to up grade to the spouse's with the higher ss payment , then they have to take less money then they would normally get so that it will offset the cost to the gov. (This would be similar to pension plans that allow a spouse to receive the other spouses pension if they pass away. Also if the spouse has earned a ss payment and take less money at their retirement time, they should get both pentions just like the pension plans do.)) Everyone should pay ss on all their earned money.
|
|
said this on 22 Jun 2011 6:36:45 PM PST
I resent the omission of the name of the president that actually pushed the WEP law through on Dec 22,1977 with the effective date grandfathered in 5 years later, after the Republicans were elected to replace the Carter administration. Let's be fair and let the world know that the Democrats were the ones that cheated us out of our rightful benefits.
|
|
said this on 11 Jul 2011 11:37:16 AM PST
Sorry Jeanne. It was Regan. I thought everybody new. It is no secret and we have discussed it here before. Unfortunately the Dems has not be at all helpful and we have been trying to correct this through two Democrat administrations (Clinton and Obama) and two Republican ones as well (Bush 1 & 2).
|
|
said this on 20 Aug 2011 4:17:00 PM PST
I paid 33years into social security. 13 years before retiring I became a teacher. My social security was butchered and it was never disclosed that if I became a teacher in California I would lose so much of my social security. As a woman, I earned $0.60 on the $1.00 of what my male counterparts made. The government has just continued to treat women badly.
|