sry, my bad, I was confusing with another poster.
Or it was wishful thinking for me!
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If I was czar for a day, Iād make it happen for you!
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Can you say more about these and what triggers those restrictions?
I was a public educator in a state where they donāt contribute to SS while teaching. Yes, I do get a pension. The offset and windfall provisions apply to folks like me who are public employees who worked the majority of their careers in jobs not contributing to SS.
Our SS benefits are reduced using a formula that accounts for our pensions (which we contribute toā¦itās not like itās free). And we can never collect SS on anyone elseās earnings.
Anyone subject to these provisions needs to consider that in their retirement planning (see other thread). But for me, it also contributed to when I decided to take SS because my SS amount covers my Medicare premium and thatās about it. Soā¦I decided to enjoy the SS deposit from 62-65ā¦because of that.
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In my caseā¦.
Iāll be 65 next month. Planning to retire from my job with a pension (i wonāt be fully vested - that would take another 5-6 years) end of 2024. I also have enough credit for SS but at this point, 65, with windfall, I would get no SS.
My pkan is to take my pension, work part time starting January 2025 (
something may be lined up with a current org I work with) and then work until 67 (technically 66.10) when Iāll be full retirement age and then, I think I will get some SS. Iāll confirm this all soon with SS - at least with the info at hand.
H is already retired with full pension and a part time $ hobby - he did not have SS credits so that doesnāt come into play for him or us. He was able to use my SS status get some health care $ before he turned 65 as spousal benefits- donāt ask me the details on that! 
Itās all ALOT to understand!
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Thanks for the explanation. I have a pension (they deduct 11% of my salary!), but I pay into SS, too, so it doesnāt sound like this will apply.
Itās typically government pensions. I too will fall under that
There are two issues.
The Windfall Eliminationā¦ the Windfall Elimination affects your own social security. If you qualify for SS it can never be reduced to zero but it is significantly reduced.
The other provision is the GPO or Government Pension offset. That one affects your spousal survivor benefit and can be reduced to $0. It depends on your pension as itās plugged into a formula.
Like @thumper1 mine will be reduced to $0 so I will never get a dime of my spouses SS.
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My H gets a great federal pension from his 45+ years at fed govt. I get a minimal SS benefit, which I started collecting in my early-mid 60s so D could apply under my SS for disability benefits. Since sheās never been able to hold a fulltime job, sheās never qualified for benefits under her own work history.
H will never collect anything from my benefit because of his pension. My benefit is a tiny fraction of Hās pension but is more than enough to cover my medicare premium and Hās as well as our portion of family medical insurance premium, which is our medigap/advantage, D plan all in one.
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@bhs1978 , Thank you for summing it up better than I could have. Here in Texas very few districts participate in social security. Because I started teaching after 40, I didnāt have as many years to plug into the retirement formula so my pension is quite low.
Because itās so low, even after the reductions I get a a reduced SS benefit on my own record from part time work over the years and actually qualify for another ~ $150/month on my husbandās record. So I get a tiny check each month after Medicare is taken out.
Lower paid employees, like teaching assistants can sometimes come out ahead by quitting before retirement , taking their contributions back from the teacher retirement system, rolling them into an IRA and collecting their spousal SS, especially if the spouse was highly compensated and is getting the max benefit.
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Thatās what I did.
I worked 8 years for a local government as a very part time employee. Not even half time.
Cashed out last year, actually just paid the taxes on the withdrawal as it was less than $10,000. It was $10,000 less we had to withdraw from our 401k.
I think the payout was something like $72/month.
Hoping it all works out when we get to social security.
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OP here. I applied for SS today, starting on my 65th birthday month, which is next month. I did go to the website calculator people suggested here and it confirmed what I already thought.
My SS benefits will still be less than half of DHās when he takes his at age 70. The calculator suggested I do that, too. My earnings are less than the threshold. Iām just a PT reseller.
Plus, the benefits will pay for my Medicare expenses when they start in January to the tune of about $700.
Wow, itās just hard to believe Iām here already.
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I understand the feelingā¦just turned that 6-5 myself. No getting around being an official āseniorā age anymore! Itās surreal.
But glad you made a decision and it sounds right for you!
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Iāve been with my husband since we were 19. He turns 65 in January. I emailed him after I hit āsubmitā and said it feels SO bizarre.
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Every time I get depressed or anxious about my age- I recount all the people I know who didnāt make it to 65. A beloved cousin who died in a car accident; neighbor with a VERY early onset colon cancer (her doctors couldnāt believe it); etc. It helps me remember them, and gives me perspectiveā¦
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So true. Iāve lost several close friends already. Two people in our wedding! One died from stomach cancer at 40 and the other at 51 (cause undetermined, but probably alcohol-induced).
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I just received my Medicare card. I turn 65 in a couple months. I wonāt be taking SS until at least my FRA, which coincides with Hās turning 70 & taking his own SS. But just being on Medicare makes me feel a bit ancient. Like others, I feel happy to have made it this long. Two of my brothers and numerous friends didnāt see their 65th birthdays. I know a lot of people who have taken SS earlier than I will, and I think itās good that they are doing what makes them feel most comfortable.
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There are benefits though. I turn 62 this year and will be eligible for a Lifetime Senior Pass to the National Parks. 
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I turned 60 the day we toured the Kilmainham Goal in Dublin. When we stepped up to buy our tickets, we saw the sign that said the senior discount was for 60+. Happy birthday to me?
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I turn 65 next March and I am still working and receiving insurance through H who is also still working. At full retirement age my ss will be about 3/4ās of what Hās will be at FRA. Our current plan is for me to take my ss at 67 (FRA) and H will take his at 70. We donāt know if we will still be working that long, but this is our plan for ss.
H got his lifetime National Parks pass when he turned 62 and we have been putting it to good use on all of our road trips skiing and visiting National Parks along the way!
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