CHICAGO – January 21, 2010 – Republican U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz (IL-5) shares seniors’ widespread worries about deep cuts to Social Security benefits brought by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and similar modifications. Ratowitz addressed the concerns of hundreds of frustrated beneficiaries Saturday at a Polish American Congress candidate forum in Niles.

Polish and other immigrant communities are particularly concerned with the SSA’s new interpretation of WEP that affects low-income retirees based on complex intergovernmental agreements between the United States and their home countries. Revised formulas dictate a monthly retroactive benefit reduction of a minimum of 40 percent, with a cap at $380.