re: Time to end state tax free treatment of government employee retirements

1. Are members of LASERS able to draw Social Security benefits?

For their State service, LASERS members do not pay the Social Security tax and are not eligible to draw benefits. The LASERS retirement system is mandatory for most state employees. State employees who retire with a LASERS pension and who earned a Social Security benefit from private employment will likely see a substantial reduction in their Social Security benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision federal offset. Also, a LASERS retiree whose spouse earned a Social Security benefit may completely lose that spousal benefit due to the federal Government Pension Offset.

For more information, view the LASERS video, Social Security Offsets (WEP and GPO).
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