Latest on WEP/GPO Repeal – Mass Retirees

We are closed for the Holidays

The Mass Retirees office is closed between Christmas and New Years. We will reopen on Thursday, January 2nd. If you are a member of Mass Retirees and have an urgent issue that must be addressed prior to January 2nd, please call the appropriate staff member at the emergency contact number on the back of your membership card. Further, we will not answer questions nor monitor social media during this period. An up-to-date rundown of the latest news on HR82 can be found below.

If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee and not currently a member of the Mass Retirees Association, please join us today by clicking here.

Here is the latest information on the final steps for HR82 to be signed into law, as well as implemented. Once we have additional information, we will let our members know. Meanwhile, we ask for your patience and wish you a very Happy Holiday season.

• HR82 was passed by the US Senate by a vote of 76-20 early Saturday morning. The bill passed on a clean vote, without amendment. It is now in the process of being formally submitted to President Biden for his approval.
• On Tuesday morning (12/24), the US House of Representatives read into the Congressional record that HR82 had been approved by the US Senate. The bill, having been approved by both the House and Senate, will now officially be sent to the president.
• Once the president receives the official documents, he then has 10 days in which to act.
• President Biden is on record supporting full repeal of WEP/GPO. We have received word that he intends to sign HR82 into law. There is no reason to believe differently.
• Given the fact that HR82 passed on Saturday and the holidays are set to begin today, there is a likelihood that the bill may not be signed until after New Year’s Day. Given the timing with the holidays, we must be patient.
• Implementation and Effective Date:
  • Once the HR82 is signed into law, the Social Security Administration will begin the process of recalculating the benefits of the nearly 3 million current retirees who have had their Social Security benefits reduced by the WEP or reduced/eliminated by the GPO.The effect date of the law is not yet clear. Once we are certain of the date, we will let members know.
  • Due to the administrative process of recalculating benefits for nearly 3 million retirees, we anticipate this process taking several months to complete. Once we have additional information, we will let members know.
  • Finally, HR82 only repeals WEP and GPO for current and future retirees. The law has not been changed in terms of Social Security Retirement or SSDI eligibility in any way. If you were not eligible for Social Security Retirement or SSDI prior to the passage of HR82, then you will remain ineligible. Again, the passage of this law does not alter eligibility requirements in any way nor was it ever intended to do so.

As we said above, once additional information is available, we will let Mass Retirees members know. Meanwhile, we ask for your patience. Again, if you are a retired Massachusetts public employee and not an Association member, please join today https://massretirees.com/join/

We wish you and your family a Happy Holiday Season, as well as a happy and healthy New Year in 2025.