Sep
12
2011
By Guest (not verified)
I get SSDI and a small amount of SSI to supplement that. I also have Medicare now, and Medicaid. I may become eligible for a portion of my ex-husband's state retirement. If that happens I would get monthly checks, but I do not know how much. How will this affect my SSDI/SSI, Medicare and Medicaid?
Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) & Government Pension Offset
There are two programs, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) which may affect you.
The Windfall Elimination Provision primarily affects you if you earned a pension in any job where you did not pay Social Security taxes and you also worked in other jobs long enough to qualify for a Social Security retirement or disability benefit.
http://ssa.gov/pubs/10045.html
For the GPO, if you receive a pension from a federal, state or local government based on work where you did not pay Social Security taxes, your Social Security spouse's or widow's or widower's benefits may be reduced.
http://ssa.gov/pubs/10007.html
https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202608100
Rules for both of these programs are complex, and the SSA would be the best source of information on the possible effects of these programs.
As you may know, for SSI, you must report changes in income. This includes unearned income such as pensions. An increase in pension income may reduce SSI benefits. See here for an illustration :
http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-income-ussi.htm
We are not experts on Medicaid, but pension income may affect Medicaid benefits as well.