Boston: Council Supports Social Security Fairness Act

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~ During the latest Council meeting, a resolution was adopted by the Council, showing support for the Social Security Fairness Act. The resolution was introduced by Councilor Louijeune and co-sponsored by Councilor Weber.

The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 597) is a bipartisan bill that was introduced in the 118th Congress and has recently been passed by the House of Representatives. The main goal of this bill is to repeal both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions have been causing public employees to receive reduced Social Security benefits.

The WEP reduces benefits for public employees who receive pensions from non-covered employment, resulting in some workers losing up to 55% of their earned benefits. On the other hand, the GPO disproportionately affects lower-income and widowed public employees by reducing or eliminating Social Security spousal or survivor benefits. Shockingly, 96% of those impacted by this provision are women.

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According to the resolution adopted by the Council, these provisions unfairly penalize around 25% of public workers nationwide. Many of these workers have worked in both covered and non-covered employment and planned their retirement based on the promise of receiving full Social Security benefits.

The resolution also highlights that Social Security is one of the most successful government programs in U.S. history, providing crucial retirement, survivor, and disability benefits to millions of Americans. It serves as a lifeline for vulnerable populations.

In light of this, the Council officially expressed its support for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 597). They are advocating for the repeal of both WEP and GPO to ensure fair treatment and retirement security for Boston's public employees. This move aligns with their belief that all workers deserve equitable treatment when it comes to their retirement benefits.

Filed Under: Government, City

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