STRS Ohio Expresses Support for Repeal of Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)

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The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio continued its efforts to repeal the WEP, submitting a letter on May 9 to the House Pensions Committee in support of House Concurrent Resolution 6. H.C.R. 6, sponsored by Reps. Angela King (R-Celina) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), urges the U.S. Congress to repeal the WEP. The Windfall Elimination Provision is a federal law that reduces the Social Security benefit for many public sector employees, including many STRS Ohio members.

No state has felt the impact of the WEP more acutely than Ohio, which has a higher percentage of non-Social Security covered public workers than any other state. STRS Ohio retirees who are eligible to collect a Social Security benefit are subject to the WEP reduction. The amount of the reduction is based on whether the retiree had any years of substantial earnings on which they contributed to Social Security.

STRS Ohio has consistently and proactively advocated at the federal level for changes to the WEP. The retirement system’s letter thanked Reps. King and Plummer for bringing the issue before the legislature.

More information about Social Security and WEP is available here.