Q. I teach school in Texas, which has it’s own Teacher Retirement Service, but I have enough quarters of Social Security to qualify for benefits. How will my benefits be affected? There has been much speculation, but no firm answers.
A. Anyone who has earned ten years of Social Security work credits receives a Social Security benefit at retirement age. There are no exceptions. Your benefit, however, may be subject to the Social Security Act’s Windfall Elimination provision if you also receive a pension from non-Social Security covered employment.
The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) applies to every worker first eligible for Social Security after 1985 who receives a pension from non-Social Security covered employment unless the worker has at least thirty years of substantial Social Security earnings.