80 years of Social Security, but we teachers don’t get ours.
.
Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of Social Security.
It was an important victory for working people during the Great Depression.
Today, the average worker who depends on Social Security as their sole retirement pension lives below the poverty line.
Teachers in 15 states receive no Social Security, or they have it reduced significantly.
As a teacher in Illinois who contributed into Social Security until I was 38 and began teaching, this is a major financial loss.
Why do I lose a major part of my Social Security benefit?
Because of two Federal laws called The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
In the view of Congress, being paid the Social Security I am owed is considered a “windfall.”
The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) penalize people who have dedicated their lives to public service by taking away 80 years of Social Security, but we teachers don’t get ours. | Fred Klonsky: