If you receive a retirement allowance from LACERA and are also eligible for Social Security dependent benefits, you may be subject to Social Security’s Government Pension Offset (GPO), enacted by Congress in 1977.
The GPO applies to Social Security benefits that you may receive as a spouse, widow, or widower while you are also receiving a government pension. The GPO reduces your benefits by two-thirds of your pension amount. Thus, if you are subject to the GPO and two-thirds of your LACERA allowance is more than your Social Security dependent benefit, the GPO could completely eliminate your dependent benefit.
Visit the Social Security website for more about how the GPO might affect your federal benefit, or contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213.