Is Social Security Offset a fairly new law in the state?

[BigmanPigman]

Just now on MSNBC they were interviewing residents and one was angry about losing $10,000 a year from her husband's SS (he was a teacher). With SS offset if you worked as a non-teacher and earned SS you lose most of it when you become a teacher. We have had this in CA for over 20 years.

[skylucy]

1. Yes. I was a teacher for 38 years. Teachers get screwed out of their

social security and the social security of their spouses if their spouse dies. California Teachers Association has been trying to get the legislature to reverse this for years. My pension is good because I taught for so many years, but many of my friends became teachers later in their lives and it is terrible for them. They paid into SS and now they aren't getting it. They are penalized for becoming a teacher.

[BigmanPigman]

2. That is what I found out right after becoming a teacher

as my second career. When I started 20 years ago none of the senior teachers I knew were even aware of this and told me I was incorrect. I had to get documentation to prove it. Many of them had a lot of income from outside of teaching jobs over the years and paid SS and had earned credits too. They were surprised but I was more surprised that they themselves didn't know this.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Sad, isn't it, when they need experienced people to become teachers too...

Teachers w/ experience are needed, mainly because they need people with tons of experience in developing computer systems and the like, in the outside world (outside of teaching), and that what they (schools) needed, people w/ experience...to teach the students how the business world develops IT systems....

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. No, it's not new.

A quick Google shows it's been around since 1977, which is 41 years now.

Unfortunately, a lot of people (teachers) don't find out about it as soon as they should. The NEA should be front and center in making sure teachers understand this.