Q. I hope to retire in 2020 under the FERS retirement system. My spouse is a school teacher, does not pay into Social Security, and is covered by the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System (STRS). Will either of us lose a substantial amount of survivor benefits when one of us passes due to the WEP or GPO?
A. The windfall elimination provision does not apply to survivor’s benefits, but the government pension offset may reduce or eliminate your wife’s survivor benefit, if she survives you.
