The Windfall Elimination Provision Should Not Be Repealed

People line up outside of the Social Security Administration office in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 2, 2005. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Commentary

My inbox has been flooded with emails from retired or soon-to-be retired public employees who don’t even pay into Social Security. They are writing to complain about a law called the Windfall Elimination Provision, or the WEP, that reduces any Social Security benefits they have earned while working at other jobs where Social Security taxes were deducted from their paychecks. They always tell me about bills pending in Congress that are intended to repeal the WEP, and they want me to endorse the legislation in my column. They are surprised to hear back from me with this message: “The WEP is an entirely fair and just law that should never be repealed. And shame on those self-serving members of Congress who introduce such legislation that they know has no chance of passage. They are merely seeking votes from uninformed constituents who happen to be retired public employees.” Before I explain what I am talking about, I must give some background.