LSERS Members

As LSERS members, you do not participate in Social Security so you are not eligible for Social Security benefits through your LSERS employment. However, you may be eligible for two types of Social Security benefits:

• An earned benefit is paid to individuals who worked at jobs where you paid Social Security taxes long enough to earn a Social Security benefit.
• A spouse’s or widow(er)’s benefit is paid to the spouse or surviving spouse of a Social Security pensioner if the spouse did not work long enough under Social Security to have earned their own benefit or your earned benefit is less than the pensioner’s benefit. The spouse’s benefit is generally one-half of the benefit paid to the Social Security pensioner.

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) have been repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82). These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2023.

Please note that your LSERS benefit was/is not reduced or impacted by Social Security Offsets. To contact the Social Security Administration, you can call toll-free at 1.800.772.1213 or go to www.SSA.gov. ​Beginning Jan. 6, 2025, SSA started requiring appointments for visits to local Social Security offices. Make an appointment here.

LSERS Employers

The Social Security Administration maintains a dedicated section on its website specifically for state and local government employers. This section can be accessed at State and Local Government Employers | SSA. It provides a comprehensive overview of Social Security laws relevant to state and local governments, employer reporting guidelines, answers to frequently asked questions, contact details, and a range of useful publications for public sector employers and employees. Due to the recent repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) by H.R. 82, the information and requirements for state and local government employers are expected to undergo significant updates.