ABA Family Legal Guide

The Rights of Older Americans

Pensions

Traditional Pension Plans

Does the amount of Social Security I collect affect my pension benefits?

It might. Some pension plans allow a reduction of benefits, depending on how much you receive from Social Security. However, federal law places limits on the amount by which your pension can be reduced. These Social Security integration rules are extremely complex and are different for defined benefit and defined contribution plans. You should check with your plan's administrators to see whether your pension plan is integrated with Social Security and if so, how this will affect your benefit.