Social Security and Your SJCERA Benefit
If you receive a government pension (such as from SJCERA), for employment not covered by Social Security, any Social Security benefit you may be eligible to receive based on your own work history may be subject to Social Security's Windfall Elimination Provision. Additionally, any spouse or widow's Social Security benefit you may be eligible to receive may be affected by Social Security's Government Pension Offset.
All SJCERA's General members pay into Social Security. The majority of SJCERA Safety members do not pay into Social Security. Only Safety members employed by Lathrop-Manteca Fire District pay into Social Security. Generally, those who are paying into Social Security will be unaffected by the Government Pension Offset or Windfall Elimination provisions unless you have other employment history (such as with a reciprocal system) that was not covered by Social Security. Please contact Social Security for more information (1-800-772-1213) about how the Windfall Elimination and Government Pension Offset provisions might affect you.