CalSTRS and Social Security: What California Teachers Need to Know (2026)

Last Updated: March 28, 2026

Most California public school teachers are members of CalSTRS — the California State Teachers' Retirement System — and do not pay into Social Security from their teaching job. For decades, this meant any Social Security benefits earned from other covered jobs were reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), and spousal and survivor benefits were eliminated or gutted by the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 5, 2025, permanently eliminated both provisions for the approximately 471,000 active CalSTRS members and hundreds of thousands of CalSTRS retirees.

This guide covers what changed, what the numbers mean for California teachers specifically, and how to update your Social Security strategy.

Check your updated Social Security benefit estimate →

The Two-System Picture: CalSTRS and Social Security

CalSTRS is one of the largest pension funds in the world, managing assets for California's public school educators. As of the most recent reporting period, CalSTRS serves more than 471,000 active members, with average annual benefits of approximately $67,900 for teachers who retired in FY 2023–24 with around 25 years of service — roughly $5,659 per month. (Source: CalSTRS Retirement Guide 2025.)

Because CalSTRS does not participate in Social Security, California teachers in CalSTRS-covered positions:

• Do not have Social Security (OASDI) withheld from teaching paychecks
• Do not build Social Security credits from teaching employment
• Do receive a CalSTRS pension calculated based on years of service and final salary

This is a parallel system, not a supplement. CalSTRS is your retirement income from your teaching career. Social Security — if you have any — comes from other covered employment: prior private-sector work, a second job, summer employment, or a spouse's record.

Before January 2025, having both a CalSTRS pension and Social Security-covered earnings created a significant problem.

What the Fairness Act Means for CalSTRS Members

Two federal provisions had specifically penalized teachers in systems like CalSTRS:

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) applied a modified benefit formula to reduce Social Security retirement benefits for anyone receiving a pension from non-covered employment. For CalSTRS members with any SS-covered work history, WEP could reduce your Social Security monthly benefit by up to $587 (2024 cap). The reduction was based on how many years of "substantial earnings" you had in covered employment.

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) was more damaging for married teachers. It reduced Social Security spousal or survivor benefits by $2 for every $3 of your CalSTRS pension. For a teacher with a $4,000/month CalSTRS pension, GPO reduced spousal benefits by approximately $2,667/month — eliminating them entirely in most cases.

Both provisions are now permanently eliminated, effective January 2024.

For a California teacher receiving the average CalSTRS benefit of approximately $5,659/month:

• The GPO repeal means full spousal benefit eligibility is restored — potentially $1,000–$2,000/month in spousal income that was previously zeroed out
• The WEP repeal means any SS benefit earned from covered employment is now calculated at full value, not the reduced formula

For the full legal background, see our Social Security Fairness Act guide and Government Pension Offset history.

Retroactive Payments: What California Teachers May Be Owed

The Fairness Act is retroactive to January 1, 2024. The SSA began automatically adjusting benefits and issuing lump-sum retroactive payments starting February 25, 2025.

If you were already receiving Social Security benefits that were reduced by WEP or GPO, you should have received:

• A permanent monthly increase reflecting the elimination of the reduction
• A lump-sum payment covering January 2024 through your first adjusted payment

The SSA reported an average benefit increase of approximately $360/month for affected individuals. For those whose spousal or survivor benefits were entirely eliminated by GPO, the restoration could be substantially larger.

To verify your payment: Log in to ssa.gov/myaccount and check your benefit history and current monthly amount. If you believe you were affected and haven't seen a change, contact the SSA directly (1-800-772-1213).

CalSTRS Inflation Protection vs. Social Security COLA

One of the most important — and often misunderstood — differences between CalSTRS and Social Security is how each adjusts for inflation.

Social Security COLA is applied to your entire monthly benefit each year, based on the CPI-W index. The 2026 COLA is 2.5%. For a person receiving $2,000/month in Social Security, that's $50/month added each year, compounding forward. See how COLA compounds over time →.

CalSTRS inflation protection works differently. CalSTRS does not have a straightforward annual COLA. Instead, it operates a Supplemental Benefit Maintenance Account (SBMA) designed to maintain purchasing power at approximately 85% of the original benefit's real value. Quarterly SBMA payments are issued when inflation has eroded the purchasing power of current benefits below the 85% threshold. (Source: CalSTRS Inflation Protection.)

This means:

• Your CalSTRS benefit does not automatically increase every year
• You may receive SBMA supplement payments when inflation is high and your purchasing power drops
• The system targets 85% purchasing power protection — not full inflation adjustment
• In low-inflation periods, you receive little or no SBMA payment

For CalSTRS members who also receive Social Security, this distinction matters strategically: your SS benefit will grow faster in real terms than your CalSTRS benefit in most inflation environments. This makes the decision of when to claim Social Security — and which record to claim on — particularly important for long-term income.

The 40-Quarter Requirement: What CalSTRS Doesn't Provide

CalSTRS membership does not build Social Security credits. To receive a Social Security retirement benefit of your own, you need 40 quarters (10 years) of Social Security-covered employment at some point in your career.

Many California teachers have some covered employment: private-sector work before entering teaching, summer jobs, part-time work outside the classroom, or work in states or districts that do participate in Social Security. Each such year added SS credits.

If you spent your entire career in CalSTRS-covered teaching with no other covered employment, you have zero Social Security earnings on record. The Fairness Act restores nothing for you — there was nothing reduced. Your CalSTRS pension is your retirement income from public employment.

The fastest way to know: Visit ssa.gov/myaccount and review your earnings history year by year. Years with zero SS earnings confirm non-covered work. Years with positive earnings confirm you built credits in those years.

See our guide on how Social Security benefits are calculated for how partial covered earnings histories translate into a benefit amount.

Claiming Strategy When You Have Both CalSTRS and Social Security

For CalSTRS members who have both a pension and Social Security eligibility, two strategic decisions matter most:

1. When to claim Social Security

Even if your SS benefit is relatively small compared to your CalSTRS pension, the timing of when you claim still matters. Claiming at 70 vs. 62 can be a 76% difference in monthly benefit ($1,000 vs. $1,760 at full value). The higher your SS benefit, the more the delay is worth in lifetime income.

More importantly, if you're married, your claiming age affects your spouse's survivor benefit. Your spouse can receive up to 100% of the benefit you were receiving at death. If you claim early, you lock in a permanently lower survivor benefit. See our coordinated claiming strategy for couples.

2. Spousal benefits on your spouse's record

If your spouse has a Social Security record and you have little or no SS earnings of your own, you may now be eligible for a spousal benefit of up to 50% of your spouse's FRA benefit. This was previously eliminated by GPO. It no longer is.

To qualify, you must be at least 62 and have been married for at least one year. The spousal benefit is separate from and in addition to your CalSTRS pension — they do not offset each other.

Estimate your spousal benefit →

Steps to Take Now

1. Log in to ssa.gov/myaccount — Review your earnings record. Confirm how many years of covered employment you have. Check your current benefit estimate with WEP removed.

2. Check your CalSTRS pension estimate — Use the CalSTRS Retirement Benefits Calculator to get your projected pension at different retirement ages.

3. If married, model both records together — The optimal strategy often involves one spouse claiming early and one delaying. With GPO gone, a non-covered teacher spouse's eligibility for spousal benefits changes the math substantially. Use our spousal benefits calculator.

4. If widowed, review survivor benefit eligibility — GPO repeal is fully retroactive. Even if you previously received zero survivor benefit due to GPO, you may now qualify. Contact the SSA.

5. Review your tax situation — CalSTRS pension plus Social Security income may push your "combined income" above the taxation threshold. See is Social Security taxable for thresholds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do California teachers get Social Security?

Most California public school teachers covered by CalSTRS do not pay into Social Security from teaching and don't earn SS credits from that employment. However, any Social Security earned from other covered jobs (private sector, prior careers, other states) is fully preserved and — since January 2025 — is no longer reduced by WEP. Teachers with no other covered employment have no Social Security benefit; their only retirement income from public employment is their CalSTRS pension.

How does the Fairness Act affect my CalSTRS pension?

It doesn't. Your CalSTRS pension amount is calculated entirely by CalSTRS rules — years of service, age, and final compensation. The Fairness Act changes only your Social Security benefits, not what CalSTRS pays you. The two are completely separate systems.

Can I claim Social Security spousal benefits if I have a CalSTRS pension?

Yes, as of January 2025. The Government Pension Offset, which had reduced spousal and survivor Social Security benefits by $2 for every $3 of government pension, has been permanently eliminated. If your spouse has a Social Security record and you meet other eligibility requirements (married 1+ year, age 62+), you can now receive the full spousal benefit without any reduction for your CalSTRS pension.

What is the SBMA and will I receive it?

The Supplemental Benefit Maintenance Account (SBMA) is CalSTRS's inflation protection mechanism. Rather than an annual COLA, SBMA makes quarterly payments to retirees when inflation has reduced their purchasing power below 85% of the real value of their original benefit. Payments are not guaranteed annually — they depend on cumulative inflation relative to your benefit. Details are at calstrs.com/inflation-protection.

Additional Resources

• CalSTRS Official Website — Pension estimates, member portal, SBMA information
• CalSTRS Retirement Guide 2025 — Current benefit calculations and planning resources
• SSA Social Security Fairness Act — Official SSA guidance on WEP/GPO elimination
• TeacherPensions.org — California — Independent analysis of CalSTRS benefit structure
• SSA myAccount — Check your SS earnings record and benefit estimates

Check your updated Social Security benefit estimate →

The Decision Kit includes:

Social Security benefit estimation worksheets for mixed covered/non-covered work histories Spousal and survivor benefit coordination guide (post-GPO) Pension and Social Security income planning Tax planning for retirement income from multiple sources

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Continue learning:

• Social Security Fairness Act 2025 — Complete law breakdown
• Social Security for Teachers and Government Workers — All 12 non-covered states
• Government Pension Offset: Full Background — WEP and GPO history
• Coordinated Claiming for Married Couples — Household strategy