Getting rid of WEP and GPO?

[Alan]

Wouldn’t they have to send something more official specifically to you to request that information?
How and where would you report that change?
I would also want to know why.

My wife’s email says she can use her online SSA account or call the SSA to update them.

What We Need You to Do

Sign in to your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ to verify or update your mailing address and direct deposit information. NOTE: If you have filed for spouse’s or widow(er)’s benefits but are not receiving any monthly benefits due to GPO, please call us at 1-800-772-1213 if you would like to update your direct deposit information.

 

[Gumby]

The young wife applied on-line for a spousal benefit on January 6th. She just got a notice that she has been denied for her own benefit (no surprise since since she has less than 40 credits), but the spousal benefit application remains at stage 2. Of course, she thought she was only applying for her spousal benefit, but I suppose they consider it a filing for both. Seems to be a waste of their time, but hopefully we'll get the "yes" on her spousal benefit soon.

 

[ronin]

I couldn't find anywhere on the mySocialSecurity website to report the small change in pension that I had. I am not going to call about it. Probably not the smartest option, but I can't see how it makes any difference to eliminating the WEP other than filling in some box and collecting some data.

A little related bit of nonsense... Got a letter yesterday confirming my wife's phone appt. that we completed last Friday. Received the exact same letter 2 weeks ago.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We got the email too.

 

[Golden sunsets]

It looks to me like I have to provide information to them.

View attachment 54507

DH received the same email yesterday. I don't see anywhere on the website where one could update SSA on the change in pension amount between 1/22 and 12/23. I also don't see why the change should make any difference to the WEP effect that has been factored into DH's Reduced SS since his retirement in 2008. Pension amount went up by the 1/1/23 COLA, or 8.7%. Has anyone figured out how to get this information to SSA If so, could you please post your solution to meeting this request from SSA.

 

[Alan]

DH received the same email yesterday. I don't see anywhere on the website where one could update SSA on the change in pension amount between 1/22 and 12/23. I also don't see why the change should make any difference to the WEP effect that has been factored into DH's Reduced SS since his retirement in 2008. Pension amount went up by the 1/1/23 COLA, or 8.7%. Has anyone figured out how to get this information to SSA If so, could you please post your solution to meeting this request from SSA.

Thinking about it, their question regarding pension changes in 2022 and 2023 that they might not know about is an indication of how slow they are in processing forms SSA-150 and SSA-308. So there may be outstanding changes to pensions that they haven't processed yet, and which, prior to 2024 would still result in WEP (because the WEP/GPO still applies before 2024). I don't think they are interested in existing pensions that they already know about which increased due to COLA adjustments.

My wife logged on and checked that they have her correct address on file.

 

[FIYes]

As promised, I’m following up with the status of my application. I had my phone interview today. I believe that my application is easier because I applied for Medicare based on DH’s information a few years ago. They already had information such as our marriage certificate on file. I did have to provide my current pension amount and my bank account number. I received an estimate of what I will be eligible for and was told to expect it to take 10-90 days to process. I was told that I will receive back pay to January 2024.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Newsweek just reported that SS has been told to cut 50% of their staff. They already are short staffed so this is terrible. I hope this doesn’t happen until May so everyone has their back pay and their higher monthly amount.

 

[ChrisC]

Patience is a virtue.

I think we should all recognize these are very trying times for SSA and that for many of us, where manual adjustments have to be made to accounts to get us straightened out for payments, this is not an easy task for SSA staff who also have to deal with system adjustments to manually process payments. I guess I'm sensitive (perhaps overly sensitive) to struggles taking place having been a Federal employee in several Federal agencies, over my prior career in the Federal service, where annual multi-billion payments are processed to varying claimants, with unique profiles.

After my phone interview on February 19 (and as I was interviewed, I received an automated phone call from SSA reminding me about scheduling for the interview), I checked into my online SSA account and saw an odd message that said I was in Step 1 and I might need to send in a signed application for spousal benefits to complete the process and that someone from SSA might contact me about this. I simply ignored this message because the SSA reps in Dec and February said that my phone contact and interview started the process and SSA had everything to process. I chalked up the odd message in my SSA online account to be an automated standby message that hadn't been sidelined by the current situation of processing WEP/GPO adjustments.

As with others here, I received the SSA email mentioned upthread about contacting SSA if you had pension increases from 2022 to 2023. I did have increases, which I thought might be odd for me to report to SSA and it might not apply to my situation. Besides, if SSA had my information about my pension payments, they certainly would know about COLA adjustments to my pension as a retired Federal annuitant. In any event, I had that information readily available for them. So, I called the local SSA about this. No wait time for this call and I got someone who appeared knowledgeable about the process and like the earlier rep I spoke to on February 19th, this rep said staff is still digesting new information about processing payments -- in fact, she said they got an email that day indicating a "go" on processing payments at the end of the month. She also told me the odd message in my online account didn't need to be addressed -- she said that this is a carryover message from past procedure and that if there was any additional information SSA needed from me, which didn't seem likely, I'd get a phone call or letter from them. The rep again reiterated that SSA has all the information to process my payments.

So, if SSA later needs information about my pension increases in 2022-23, I'll wait until they contact me directly about it -- as of now, there isn't a mechanism to supply that information online or directly to someone with authority to receive that information.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I got a call from SS today asking some questions so they could finish my application for GPO. I also qualify under WEP. Wednesday I have an appointment to bring in my documents.

I filed a paper form with them on January 6 but only gave them copies of my documents. You have to put them in a box in the hallway and I wasn’t about to leave the originals. She said then everything will go to the payment center so I will get paid.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Redditors have been posting that their retroactive WEP payments are showing up in their checking accounts.

 

[Drake3287]

The young wife applied on-line for a spousal benefit on January 6th. She just got a notice that she has been denied for her own benefit (no surprise since since she has less than 40 credits), but the spousal benefit application remains at stage 2. Of course, she thought she was only applying for her spousal benefit, but I suppose they consider it a filing for both. Seems to be a waste of their time, but hopefully we'll get the "yes" on her spousal benefit soon.

I applied for the same spousal benefits as your wife on Jan. 6th and I was approved by the end of January. Officially start SS on February 1st with my first check coming in March. Your wife should be approved pretty soon I'm sure. Has she filed the marriage form (SSA-3) which they require?

 

[Koolau]

Newsweek just reported that SS has been told to cut 50% of their staff. They already are short staffed so this is terrible. I hope this doesn’t happen until May so everyone has their back pay and their higher monthly amount.

This "news" is all over the net and the cable/network news. I have no idea if it's true, exaggerated or utterly false but I can't find anything but "so and so reports that this is going to happen." No official word from SSA at this point that I can find. So YMMV.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

SSA has this posted on its website about its reorganization efforts:

Press Release | Press Office | SSA

2025 Press Releases

www.ssa.gov

 

[Gumby]

I applied for the same spousal benefits as your wife on Jan. 6th and I was approved by the end of January. Officially start SS on February 1st with my first check coming in March. Your wife should be approved pretty soon I'm sure. Has she filed the marriage form (SSA-3) which they require?

Good news.

We received a letter from SSA today asking for proof of marriage to be sent back to them by mail. But the name of the spousal applicant was incorrect (probably just a cut and paste mistake), so I called the number given in the letter to confirm that it was not some sort of fraud. I got right through and the SSA person confirmed that it was a mistake and said that, since we were on the phone, she could just confirm that marriage information now. So I had to say when and where we were married and my social security number and confirm that we were still married. And that was that. (I suspect they already had proof of marriage since the young wife changed her name and had to prove the marriage to them 41 years ago).

She said the young wife might receive the check she should have gotten in February within a week or so and that the regular check should show up on the third Wednesday in March (same day I get mine).

Before hanging up, I made sure to tell the SSA representative that I know she and her colleagues are working hard in difficult circumstances, that they are doing a great job and that I really appreciate all of their efforts. (I figure they can use a little pep talk right about now.)

 

[Drake3287]

Good to hear! Yep, many of us are waiting for that first check in March.

 

[Alan]

Great news Gumby. Maybe I will try calling them next week about my regular application.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Wow! The catch-up check (for WEP) was deposited into our account overnight. We still have not received any notification from SS. The My Social Security Website shows the payment made yesterday but still has not been updated to reflect the new monthly payment amount. I'm assuming that the deposit represents 13 payments ( to adjust for payments made in February 2024 through February of 2025), but we won't know for sure until the March check hits our account, the second Wednesday of the month. Has anyone else received a catch up payment yet and do you think it represent 13 months worth of WEP adjustments?

 

[Sue J]

Yesterday DH followed the instructions to check his application status by phone -

Check application or appeal status

Understand what stage the application is in, see if additional information/documentation is needed, and get an estimate for when a decision will be made.

www.ssa.gov

"Use our automated phone assistance
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in English and Spanish.
Call +1 800-772-1213
When you hear "How can I help you today?" say "application status.""

Then it asks you to speak your social security number. He spoke slowly and clearly and it kept telling him that it did not understand him. After a few attempts it said it would send him to a representative. Then he was on hold for 2 hours. He finally gave up.

His account page still says step 2. He's done everything he's been asked to do. Just needs someone to verify his documents that have been copied at the local office.

 

[aldo]

Pending deposit on 3/3 for what must be 6 months retroactive benefits. SSA in Denver is on a roll

I logged into my SSA account and realized that the Benefit Verification Letter had been updated when I clicked on that link. The letter shows some details about past and current SS benefits. I hope SSA tells me how they calculated the 3/3 payment at some point

 

[Golden sunsets]

I logged into my SSA account and realized that the Benefit Verification Letter had been updated when I clicked on that link. The letter shows some details about past and current SS benefits. I hope SSA tells me how they calculated the 3/3 payment at some point

Oh yes. Same for us. Benefit Verification letter revises detail for 2024 and 2025.

 

[FIYes]

Okay, I told myself that I would be patient and not check the status of my application for spousal benefits for a week, but I checked tonight. I’m at step 2!

 

[PERSonalTime]

Yesterday DH followed the instructions to check his application status by phone -

Check application or appeal status

Understand what stage the application is in, see if additional information/documentation is needed, and get an estimate for when a decision will be made.

www.ssa.gov

"Use our automated phone assistance
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in English and Spanish.
Call +1 800-772-1213
When you hear "How can I help you today?" say "application status.""

Then it asks you to speak your social security number. He spoke slowly and clearly and it kept telling him that it did not understand him. After a few attempts it said it would send him to a representative. Then he was on hold for 2 hours. He finally gave up.

His account page still says step 2. He's done everything he's been asked to do. Just needs someone to verify his documents that have been copied at the local office.

Call you local office and see if they can help you. Good luck.

 

[Backpacker]

Logged into Mom's SS account on-line today and it shows new amount starting April 3rd. She must have just missed the March cutoff as the lower amount was deposited. She will see an increase of $880! No sign of lump sum yet but super happy for her to see the monthly increase is showing. She got an e-mail that said to let them know if her pension had changed during 2022 and 2023. Not sure if need to do that as we have been sending them updates every year since she started getting survivor benefits. I will wait and see; if lump sum shows up I am inclined to not spend hours on hold to find out if they really need this info.

 

[zl55lz]

In case anyone missed it, upon going into the ssa site to look at status, when processed it will give the monthly amount, but if looking for the retroactive amount, one can scroll down to "view your payment history..." and click, and it may give the retro amount and date. However, not sure what the date actually means. Mine says 3/3/25 but nothing deposited so far today, so perhaps it means the week of 3/3/25?

Also, I noticed the benefit verification letter shows the payment breakout for retro months, etc., but not the retro lump sum total, at least not so far. Perhaps that will come in a separate letter.