As you know, public employees do not participate in Social Security. However, many public employees may beeligible for Social Security benefits based upon earning forty (40) quarters ofcredit or through the work history a spouse. It is important to know that Social Security benefits are often affectedby the receipt of a Cambridge retirement allowance. Although your Cambridge retirement allowancecannot be reduced as a result of other retirement benefits, Social Securitybenefits might be reduced.
There aretwo federal laws, Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government PensionOffset (GPO), which may reduce and in some instances eliminate a SocialSecurity benefit because of a retirement allowance from Cambridge. To learn more about these laws and to useSocial Security's on-line calculator please go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/gpo-wep/. For information on Social Security and toapply for Social Security benefits visit their website at http://www.ssa.gov.
