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For about 40 years, the WEP and GPO have profoundly affected a significant number of public sector employees. The WEP was introduced to prevent what was seen as "double-dipping," where workers could receive both pensions and full Social Security benefits. Specifically, it reduced Social Security benefits for workers who had spent part of their careers in jobs not covered by Social Security, like teaching or fire-fighting, but who had also held other jobs that contributed to Social Security.