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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Lane3 who wrote (98987)2/7/2005 1:14:28 AM
From: KLP  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 793752
 
Per snopes to help debunk any SS misconceptions, including some I have had....

>>>>>It was true prior to 1984 that Congressmen did not pay into the Social Security fund because they participated in a separate program for civil servants (the Civil Service Retirement System, or CSRS), but that program was closed to government employees hired after 1983:

In 1983, Public Law 98-21 required Social Security coverage for federal civilian employees first hired after 1983 and closed the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to new federal employees and Members of Congress.

All incumbent Members of Congress were required to be covered by Social Security, regardless of when they entered Congress.

Members who had participated in CSRS before 1984 could elect to stay in that plan in addition to being covered by Social Security or elect coverage under an 'offset plan' that integrates CSRS and Social Security.

Under the CSRS Offset Plan, an individual's contributions to CSRS and their pension benefits from that plan are reduced ('offset') by the amount of their contributions to, and benefits from, Social Security.

snopes.com

There was no option for my department to opt in or out of SS. I know of no such provision to give federal departments any such option. The federal pension system was "reformed" in the mid eighties and future employees were put into SS for the first time. At around the same time, all federal employees were also put into Medicare for the first time.