Government Pension Offset Repeal
The Social Security Fairness Act, which repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), was signed into law on January 5, 2025. Upon implementation, the Act eliminates the reduction of Social Security benefits for retirees who receive a public pension but who also qualify for benefits under the Social Security system. Starting February 25, 2025, the Social Security Administration has begun paying retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the WEP and GPO.
The GPO affects members who receive a retirement allowance from LACERA and spousal or survivor benefits from Social Security. Before the repeal of the GPO, a member’s Social Security spousal/survivor benefit calculation was reduced by an amount equal to two-thirds of their LACERA retirement allowance. Thus, if two-thirds of their retirement allowance was greater than their Social Security spousal/survivor benefit, they did not receive any Social Security spousal/survivor benefit at all.
Our records indicate that you are a member receiving a monthly LACERA retirement allowance. Our records also indicate that you fall into one of these categories:
- You are over age 62 and have a spouse or an ex-spouse
- You are over age 60 and have a deceased spouse or a deceased ex-spouse
It is possible that you might be eligible for Social Security spousal/survivor benefits. If you never applied for Social Security spousal/survivor benefits due to the GPO reduction, you might now be eligible for the full amount of spousal/survivor benefits, since the GPO no longer applies.
We recommend that you contact Social Security to check about potential spousal/survival benefits and file an application, if needed. For further information about the repeal of the GPO, please visit www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.html.
How to Connect with Us
If you have questions about your LACERA benefits or need any other assistance, we are always here to help. Here is how you can reach us:
- Call us at 800-786-6464 between 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
- Schedule an appointment (in-person or virtual) by visiting lacera.com and clicking on “Appointment Reservations.”
- Log in to My LACERA to send us secure messages and view your correspondence and transactions.
- Email us at welcome@lacera.com with general questions.