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Conroe Independent School District |
Social Security and Retirement Issues
Dear Employees,
On March 2, 2004, President George Bush signed into law HR 743. This bill ends the “last-day” exemption rule that allows some Texas educators to avoid a reduction in Social Security benefits under the Government Pension Offset (GPO). Generally, the GPO reduces a Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) member's Social Security spousal or widow(er) benefit by a percentage of his or her TRS pension benefit. The law takes effect on July 1, 2004. Until that time, if you retire from a job that pays into both a government pension (such as TRS) and Social Security you are exempt from the GPO. Trying to receive an exemption from the GPO is a complicated matter that carries significant risks. The District encourages any employee who believes he or she may qualify for Social Security benefits to schedule an appointment with the local Social Security office and meet with a benefits counselor of his or her own choosing to investigate his or her options before making any decisions. Because this is a matter between the employee and TRS/Social Security, the District cannot provide advice to employees on this subject. However, any employee who retires or resigns from the District may reapply with the District by completing the appropriate paperwork. The District can make no promises or guarantees that any employee who resigns or retires from the District and subsequently reapplies will be hired. The following links may be helpful in learning more about this change in the law and how you may be affected:
http://www.atpe.org/EduIss/ssTruth.htm
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10007.html
http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/wep.htm