For years, Maine’s disabled public service retirees faced a punitive and outdated policy: the MainePERS Social Security Disability offset. This offset allowed MainePERS to profit with full employee and employer contributions while paying reduced benefits for a tiny subset — those whose public service job paid into both MainePERS and Social Security and are receiving Social Security disability income. The result was a financial penalty for becoming disabled — despite years of public service and eligibility for both programs.

LD 1638, passed unanimously by the Maine Legislature in 2025, repealed this unjust offset. The new law restores lost benefits to the approximately 50 affected retirees. It addresses a long-standing inequity that undermined the purpose of disability retirement.

This reform is not just administrative — it’s moral. It affirms that disability retirement is a defined benefit right, earned through service, not a loophole to be closed.

The “double-dipping” label used to justify the offset ignored the reality of disabled and ill public employees struggling to survive on reduced income. LD 1638 is a victory for fairness, transparency and the rule of law. It shows that when citizens challenge injustice and lawmakers respond, meaningful change is possible.

My thanks to Sen. Jill Duson for sponsoring the bill, to the Labor Committee for recognizing this injustice, and to the vast bipartisan support across the Legislature.

MainePERS must continue to reform: release all of the underpayments to those 50 harmed retirees, transparently document its disability procedures through rulemaking and treat all disabled retirees with dignity and fair-mindedness.

Susan Hawes
Portland