The Government Pension Offset, often called the GPO, is a Social Security rule that has affected some government retirees for many years.
This rule mainly applies to people who receive a government pension and are also eligible for Social Security benefits based on a spouse’s work record. Recent changes to the law have altered how the GPO works for many retirees.
This page explains what the GPO is, how it worked in the past, and what has changed.
What the Government Pension Offset is
The Government Pension Offset is a rule that reduces certain Social Security benefits for people who receive a government pension.
Under the original rule, Social Security spousal or survivor benefits were reduced by two-thirds of the amount of the government pension. In some cases, this reduction eliminated the Social Security benefit entirely.
The GPO did not affect a person’s own Social Security benefit. It applied only to benefits received as a spouse or surviving spouse.
Who the GPO applied to
The GPO mainly affected retirees who:
- Worked in government jobs not covered by Social Security
- Received a government pension from that work
- Were eligible for Social Security spousal or survivor benefits
This included some (but not all) federal, state, and local government retirees.
How the GPO reduces benefits
Historically, Social Security reduced spousal or survivor benefits by two-thirds of the monthly government pension amount under the GPO. That changed with the Social Security Fairness Act, which was signed into law on January 5, 2025. According to the Social Security Administration, the law ends the Government Pension Offset (and the Windfall Elimination Provision) retroactively for benefits payable for January 2024 and later.
This means these eligible individuals may now receive full Social Security spousal or survivor benefits rather than the two-thirds reduction:
- Those who receive a government pension.
- Those who are eligible for Social Security spousal or survivor benefits
- Those who previously saw those benefits reduced or eliminated by the GPO
However, individual situations will vary, and not every retiree will be affected in the same way.
How the GPO fits into federal retirement planning
Social Security rules, like the GPO, can affect how retirement income is structured.
For federal retirees, understanding how Social Security interacts with pensions is an important part of income planning. Changes to the GPO may alter expected income and timing decisions.
To see how Social Security and pensions fit into the bigger picture, visit our Federal Retirement Benefits Overview, which explains how federal retirement income sources work together.
