Spousal Beneficiaries Who Reported They Were Entitled to a Government Pension

Generally, Social Security benefits are reduced for spouses, divorced spouses, and surviving spouses who also receive a pension based on their own work for a Federal, State, or local government that was not covered by Social Security. The reduction, known as the government pension offset (GPO), is equal to two-thirds of the government pension. When individuals apply for spousal benefits, SSA asks whether they receive or expect to receive a pension based on earnings not covered by Social Security.

The objective of this audit was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) controls and procedures over spousal beneficiaries who reported they would be entitled to a Government pension in the future.

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