Impact of FERS Supplement on Widow Benefits and GPO

If the person takes the FERS supplement at age 60, does that technically count as starting the pension and GPO will apply to the widow benefit? Or can the person collect the widow benefit at 60 with no GPO reduction and collect the supplement?

If an individual under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) begins taking the FERS supplement at age 60, it generally does not trigger the Government Pension Offset (GPO) on their Social Security widow benefits. The key reason for this is that FERS employees contribute to Social Security through payroll taxes, meaning their earnings are covered under Social Security.

The FERS supplement is designed to bridge the gap between early retirement and eligibility for Social Security retirement benefits at age 62. Since the supplement is based on Social Security-covered employment, it does not fall under the same category as non-covered pensions that typically trigger GPO reductions. Therefore, an individual can collect the widow's benefit at age 60 without a GPO reduction while also receiving the FERS supplement.

It's important to clarify that while the FERS supplement itself does not cause GPO to apply, other factors related to non-covered employment might. If the individual also has a pension from non-Social Security-covered employment, that could lead to GPO affecting their widow's benefits. However, in the scenario described—where the only income is from the FERS supplement—GPO would not reduce the widow benefit.