Action Alert #77 – Stop GPO/WEP First!

In the media these days there is a lot of talk about expanding and improving Social Security, but no one is saying anything about getting rid of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Despite the repeal bills currently in Congress, (H.R.973 and S.1651), there is nothing about how badly these offsets affect the FULLY-EARNED benefits of retired public employees.

We hear the voices of politicians, parties, unions, and, especially, the associations that should be on our side—AARP, Social Security Works, National Committee for to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Alliance for Retired Americans, Older Women’s League, and the Association of University Women. But they aren’t saying anything about the GPO and WEP.  These outrageous laws should be removed from the books before anything else is done to improve Social Security retirement benefits!

WE NEED TO EDUCATE THESE GROUPS! Remind them we are out here! They get tons of email. This time, let’s send them some letters that they will physically have to do something with. Below is a list of their addresses. Please MAIL each of them a message. It can be hand-written. Or email from the links below, if envelopes don’t work for you.  They need to have the impact of our numbers.

Here are some statements that you can use in addition to telling your own story:

(Most of this information comes from the latest Congressional Research Report)
GPO—At least 615,000 retirees are affected by the GPO; 74% of those affected have lost ALL their Social Security retirement benefits. 81% of those affected are women. Women affected by the GPO have lower pensions than the men affected and, in addition, they lose more! The GPO is a direct attack against the family.  Parents who stay home and care for children usually lose all their spousal benefits, and, often, they don’t get any survivor benefits, either.
WEP—More than 1.5 million people are affected by the WEP. It harms low-income retirees more than those with larger pensions. Everyone knows that the formula IS WRONG and the premise is wrong also.  You are punished by not earning Social Security in your work as a public servant, and then you are punished again when you retire by losing what you had already earned in other work!

THE COST TO REPEAL BOTH OFFSETS WOULD BE LESS THAN 2% OF WHAT IS PAID OUT TO OTHER RETIREES IN SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS!

AARP
National Policy Council
Association of Retired Americans
601 E Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20049
member@aarp.org
AARP has a National Policy Council that makes decisions about what legislation to support. They used to be against repeal. We helped them change their position. They are currently neutral about the offsets. They need to know more. They need to know how the offsets affect real retirees.
YOU can be a member of the National Policy Council! Go to aarp.org/npc
and apply by February 28.

Social Security Works
Nancy Altman
Social Security Works
815 16th St NW Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20006
www.socialsecurityworks.org
Social Security Works is an activist group supported by a number of unions. They have not paid attention to our issue. They need to know more about GPO/WEP and what happens to us.

National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare

Max Richtman, President
NCPSSM
10 G Street NE Suite 600
Washington DC 20002
 800.966.1935
www.ncpssm.org
This group has studied the GPO and WEP and has endorsed the current repeal bills. Thank them and let them know how you have been affected.

Alliance for Retired Americans

Richard Fiesta, Executive Director
Alliance for Retired Americans
815 16th St., N.W., 4th floor
Washington, D.C., 20006
retiredamericans.org/contact-us
This is a group of active seniors who have ratified a resolution to support the repeal of the offsets. They need to know how the offsets have affected you. Please encourage them to do more!

Older Women’s League OWL

Margaret Hellie Huyck, President
Older Women’s League
1627 Eye St., N.W. Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20006

info@owl-national.org
This group is particularly interested in issues affecting older women. They have been understanding, but they need to hear more stories.
American Association of University Women
Patricia Fae Ho, Board Chair
AAUW
1111 Sixteenth St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.785.7700   800.326.2289

connect@aauw.org
You can write the Board of Directors from this link:
http://www.aauw.org/who-we-are/leadership-and-staff/board-of-directors/

 

Do you belong to another group that should be supporting out cause? Let us know, so we can send them a bunch of letters.  Also, please let us know what kind of feedback you get from these national associations. Also, tell us if you have had any luck with local groups.  We are at ssfairness @gmail.com.  Facebook: Repeal the GPO/WEP – For Social Security Fairness  Or you can respond on this blog.

   Thank you for sticking with us!