Social Security and Your PERA Benefit

The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025, which repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). The repeal of WEP and GPO may change the benefit you can expect to receive in retirement from Social Security. It does not affect your PERA benefit.

As a PERA member, here are a few things about Social Security that you need to know:

• If you are an actively contributing PERA member, you typically do not pay into Social Security for your PERA employment (with the exception of a few Local Government Division employers). Your contributions go to PERA, not Social Security.
• PERA is a replacement for Social Security for most Colorado public employees. With the repeal of WEP, this may change the amount of Social Security benefits you’re expecting in retirement.
• If your spouse earned Social Security benefits that you’re entitled to, the benefit you’re expecting may change due to the repeal of GPO.

If you have questions about the Social Security Fairness Act or your Social Security benefit, visit the Social Security Fairness Act page on the Social Security Administration’s website or call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213.