U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, (D-Massachusetts) and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced a bill that would solve the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) rule, which limits Social Security benefits for nearly 2 million public employees.
Currently the WEP reduces the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) when it comes to Social Security retirement or disability benefits if the beneficiary is also entitled to a separate pension for a job where they did not contribute to the Social Security Trust Fund.
In a press release from Neal’s congressional office, the chairman said the WEP unfairly penalizes many public employees who paid into Social Security over the years because they worked in the public sector for a period of time.
“The WEP negatively affects nearly 2 million retired public servants across the country, including about 73,000 in Massachusetts,” Neal said. “Public employees like firefighters, teachers, and police officers should not miss out on the Social Security benefits they earned over decades of hard work. With this legislation, these valued members of our communities will have greater retirement security and peace of mind.”
According to the release from Neal’s office, the purpose of the WEP, when it was established, was to equalize Social Security benefits for workers with similar earnings history, but it ended up penalizing public workers who are limited in receiving Social Security benefits even if they had paid into that system.
Anytime legislation is offered in Washington D.C. it is typically supported by one party, but not the other, but this time may be different. Neal praised his Republican colleague on the issue, U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, the ranking member of the committee, who has also attempted to tackle the WEP issue before.
“I look forward to working with [Brady] to move a solution through Congress expediently,” Neal said about the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act.
