The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), enacted by Congress in 1983, reduces the Social Security benefit for workers who receive a government pension from employment that is not covered by Social Security.
The WEP was repealed in January 2025 with an effective date of January 2024 and is pending implementation under the Social Security Fairness Act.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 County of Los Angeles withdrew from participation in Social Security beginning in 1983. If you are eligible for a Social Security benefit, have service with the County of Los Angeles on or after 1983, and receive a LACERA pension, your Social Security benefit may be subject to the WEP.
The WEP’s reduction of your Social Security benefit may be no more than one-half of the amount of your base retirement allowance. If you have 30 or more years of substantial earnings under Social Security, you are fully exempt from the WEP.
Visit the Social Security website for more about how the WEP might affect your federal benefit, or contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213.