Safety Members Plans A/B Center

Safety plan members have never been covered by Social Security. However, some Safety A and B members may be eligible for Social Security and Medicare.

Social Security Eligibility

You may be eligible for Social Security if you:

• Earned enough credit while previously employed in a non-safety position prior to the County’s withdrawal from the Social Security system
• Earned enough credit through Social Security-covered outside employment
• Are eligible through your spouse/ex-spouse

Plan A and B members who worked for the County prior to January 1983 as general members will have their LACERA retirement allowance reduced by a fixed dollar amount for each year of service prior to 1983 that was covered by Social Security while they were employed by the County. See the Social Security and Medicare page under your prior general member plan to see the applicable reduction.

Prior to January 1, 2024, retired member federal benefits were subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), but the Social Security Fairness Act ended WEP and GPO in January 2025 with an effective date of January 2024. As a result, the Social Security Administration (SSA) no longer reduces retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits for LACERA members eligible for Social Security. If your benefits were previously reduced, SSA must recalculate them retroactive to January 1, 2024.  If you never applied for Social Security benefits due to WEP or GPO, you may now qualify and should consider applying. For more information about the repeal of the WEP/GPO, payment schedule, applying for spousal benefits, and other updates, visit the Social Security Administration’s information page about the Social Security Fairness Act.

Medicare Eligibility

Safety Plan A and B members do not contribute to Medicare, but some might still qualify for Medicare through other means, such as through a spouse/ex-spouse, Social Security disability, or Social Security-covered employment.