Q. My Social Security payment is affected by the windfall elimination provision due to my City of Los Angeles police pension. I am currently receiving SS payments. My wife becomes eligible for SS distributions in one year at age 62. She will also inherit my pension (at a reduced amount) when I die (hopefully not soon). The question is: will her SS amount be affected by WEP while I’m still alive and the beneficiary of the pension or after I’m dead and she is the beneficiary of the pension?
A. Not unless she is receiving pension benefits, based on her own record, which are based on service that was not subject to Social Security taxes.