NORFOLK, Va. — Full Social Security payments are starting to go out to certain retirees who previously had their benefits cut due to provisions in the law.
Chuck Brewer is set to bring in about $270 more a month in Social Security benefits.
“That's not a windfall,” Brewer said, laughing. “I'm not going to be saving this money. This money is going to help pay my bills, which have increased, and of course my retirement — I'm on a fixed income.”
Watch previous coverage: Retired Norfolk police officers say social security benefits are being cut
Brewer is a retired Norfolk police officer who has spent years pushing for this change. He was on the force for more than 30 years and earned a pension during that time.
After his law enforcement career, he continued to work and paid into Social Security. However, each month, his benefits were cut once he began to collect on them.
“I was getting $225 a month. Once they took out my Medicare, I was just $66,” Brewer said.
His benefits were cut due to a provision in the law called the Windfall Elimination Provision.
Decades ago, Congress passed the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision due to concerns that some retirees were benefiting too much from receiving both Social Security and a pension.
The provisions led to cuts to Social Security, but Brewer and others have long argued that the penalty is much too severe.
"Had I not been a police officer and just done some other job, then I would have gotten my full Social Security that I had earned,” said Brewer when News 3 first spoke with him in July.
But late last year, Congress passed a law eliminating the provisions. Just last week, Brewer received an email from the Social Security Administration informing him he'd be getting the full payment he's owed and now those payments are going out.
“I’m extremely pleased,” Brewer said. “Thanks to Channel 3 for doing a story about it because people didn't know about it. They didn’t know.”
Now, he gets to use the money to pay for things like his mortgage.
“My payment has gone up $400 for interest, taxes, and insurance in the past seven years. $400 a month — it'll help offset it,” Brewer added.
