Hello, @GailL1. Thank you, yes, that's addressed in Step 1, question 3: “Do you now or have you worked 10 years or more in government - at the local, state or federal level?”
If you answer “yes” the following information is provided in a pop-up window:
Does it matter if I'm a government worker?
Whether you work for the government can have an effect on your level of Social Security benefits. For example, if you are a government employee under the Civil Service Retirement System, you may not be eligible for benefits (unless you have other employment covered under Social Security). Government employment can also decrease your benefits through the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
Under the WEP, retirement benefits on your record are reduced based on the number of years you paid into Social Security. The GPO offsets Social Security benefits you may get as a dependent on your spouse's account by a portion of your government pension.
To fully describe how the WEP and GPO work is beyond the scope of this tool. However, if you have any earnings under employment in which no Social Security taxes were deducted, you may need to learn more about the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset on the Social Security Administration website.
Windfall Elimination Provision: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html
Government Pension Offset: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10007.html
