Feds Restart Wage-Snooping Pact for Retirement Benefit Checks
Published Date: 8/19/2026
Notice
Summary
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-108, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is providing notice of the re- establishment of a matching program between OPM and the Social Security Administration (SSA) under Computer Matching Agreement (CMA) No. 1045. The purpose of the matching program is to enable SSA to disclose wage and self-employment income information to OPM for use in determining continued eligibility for certain retirement and survivor benefits subject to statutory earnings limitations.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
OPM–SSA Wage Data Match Re‑Established
OPM and the Social Security Administration are re-establishing a computer matching program (CMA No. 1045) that begins on October 20, 2026 and runs for 18 months. OPM will receive SSA wage and self-employment income data to compare against OPM retirement records to determine continued eligibility for disability retirees under age 60, disabled adult-child survivors, certain FERS annuity supplement recipients, and certain CSRS discontinued service annuitants; Federal law limits how much those people may earn while keeping these benefits and OPM has authority to terminate benefits under those laws.
Personal and Earnings Data Shared Between Agencies
OPM will send SSA identifying information (full name, Social Security number, date of birth, and tax year(s)) and SSA will disclose wage and self-employment information including employer identification numbers, employer addresses, W-2 wage amounts, self-employment earnings amounts, annual wage totals, earnings report type, and a death indicator; SSA will also provide reasons for any no-match (for example, SSN not on file or name mismatch).
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