[Ozymandias Ghost]

“Since 1983 Congressmen and all federal employees had to pay into SS.”
______________

In general that statement is true; however, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that those federal employees covered under the original Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), who did not elect to transfer to the newer Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), did not contribute to SS after 1983 and do not collect SS upon retirement unless they earned enough SS credits thru some other eligible employment.

CSRS employees/retirees also are not eligible to collect their spouse’s SS benefits should their spouse predecease them.

[kabar]

It should be noted that those federal employees covered under the original Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), who did not elect to transfer to the newer Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), did not contribute to SS after 1983 and do not collect SS upon retirement unless they earned enough SS credits thru some other eligible employment.

I had my choice in 1983 to retain the original system or elect FERs. I opted for the former. All new employees hired after 1983 are required to pay into SS and join FERS. The number of federal employees not paying into SS is small and declining as employees retire.

CSRS employees/retirees also are not eligible to collect their spouse’s SS benefits should their spouse predecease them.

It is a little more complicated than that. There are two sets of circumstances, offset and windfall that apply. Without getting into the weeds, Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision.