Dejibo -- No! I guess I did not explain myself clearly. Basically the system does not allow you to receive both full SS and pension at the same time. For example, let's pretend I worked in a position where I paid into SS for 20 years. Then I got a job with the State of Illinois where I no longer could pay into SS and only paid in the state pension system. The state made a choice a long time ago that state employees could not opt in for Social Security so they do not have to make any contributions. After 20 years with the state I decide to retire. Under state law, I can not qualify for both SS and Pension. I will get the state pension and then I can get approximately 20% of what I would have qualified for from the fed govt under Social Security.

I have a friend that recently retired at the age of 65. She worked most of her working life in the private sector. She had 17 years with the state university system. She will only receive a few hundred dollars from Social Security. On the other hand 17 years with the state does result in a higher premium than she would have received from SS.

To make things even more complicated, there are retirees in their 70s and older who do not have medicare as the state did not opt into the medicare system until approximately 1987.