If you receive a retirement allowance from LACERA and are also eligible for Social Security dependent benefits, you may be subject to Social Security’s Government Pension Offset (GPO), enacted by Congress in 1977.
The GPO was repealed in January 2025 with an effective date of January 2024 and is pending implementation under the Social Security Fairness Act. As of February 2025, LACERA is not aware of any implementation plan released by the Social Security Administration but will keep members apprised as we receive new information. Visit the Social Security website for agency updates on the Fairness Act.
The GPO applies to Social Security benefits that you may receive as a spouse, widow, or widower while you are also receiving a government pension. The GPO reduces your benefits by two-thirds of your pension amount. Thus, if you are subject to the GPO and two-thirds of your LACERA allowance is more than your Social Security dependent benefit, the GPO could completely eliminate your dependent benefit.
Visit the Social Security website for more about how the GPO might affect your federal benefit, or contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213.