What is the effect on Social Security benefits for a widow who has a pension based on non-covered employment?

In the context of Social Security benefits for a widow who has a pension from non-covered employment, benefits are indeed reduced. This reduction is due to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision. The GPO affects individuals who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security, such as certain state or federal government jobs, when they also qualify for Social Security benefits as a widow or widower.

Specifically, the GPO reduces the Social Security widow's or widower's benefits by two-thirds of the amount of the pension received. This policy is designed to prevent individuals from receiving both a full pension and full survivor benefits concurrently. Thus, the resultant benefits reflecting this offset can indeed be less than what the individual may have expected based solely on their spouse’s earnings record.

This provision ensures the integration of pension systems and Social Security while addressing the benefits distribution equitably, reflecting the nature of the non-covered employment in question. As a result, for the widow, the cumulative effect is a decrease in the Social Security benefits she would otherwise be entitled to receive.