Social Security Announces Expedited Retroactive Payments and Higher Monthly Benefits for Millions – Actions Support the Social Security Fairness Act
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: February 25, 2025
Today, the Social Security Administration announced it is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
These provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a “non-covered pension”) because they did not pay Social Security taxes.
The Social Security Fairness Act ends WEP and GPO.
“Social Security’s aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “The agency’s original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation. The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible.”
People who will benefit from the new law include some teachers, firefighters, and police officers in many states; federal employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System; and people whose work had been covered by a foreign social security system.
Many beneficiaries will be due a retroactive payment because the WEP and GPO offset no longer apply as of January 2024. Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, which will be deposited into their bank account on record with Social Security.
Many of these people will also receive higher monthly benefits, which will first be reflected in the benefit payment they receive in April. Depending on factors such as the type of Social Security benefit received and the amount of the person’s pension, the change in payment amount will vary from person to person.
Anyone whose monthly benefit is adjusted, or who will get a retroactive payment, will receive a mailed notice from Social Security explaining the benefit change or retroactive payment. Most people will receive their retroactive payment two to three weeks before they receive their notice in the mail, because the President understands how important it is to pay people what they are due right away. Social Security is expediting payments using automation and will continue to handle many complex cases that must be done manually, on an individual case-by-case basis. Those complex cases will take additional time to update the beneficiary record and pay the correct benefits.
Social Security urges beneficiaries to wait until April to ask about the status of their retroactive payment, since these payments will process incrementally into March. Since the new monthly payment amount will begin with the April payment, beneficiaries should wait until after receiving their April payment, before contacting Social Security with questions about their monthly benefit amount.
Visit the agency’s Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn more and stay up to date on its progress. Visitors can subscribe to be alerted when the webpage is updated.
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Perry M.
Thanks very much. I had to work for 20 years after my 27 years in law enforcement. I also paid into Social Security when I first started my law enforcement career. My wife passed away last year, could have use the extra benefit to enjoy our last few years together. Hopefully it will come quickly for I can enjoy my last few years.
Carol R.
How do you know if you qualify for this ss increased benefit that your article references?
T.Y.
Hi, Carol. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.
Thelma G.
I have always felt that SS was doing things for their benefits not mine. I still have bills to pay and little money left over.
Anna F.
I trust this will include the people who worked in Canada and receive social insurance payments from provincial and/or federal governments such as myself. We worked for that just as we worked for our American social security. It certainly was no windfall as you call it. The definition of windfall, as I understand it, is money received that one did not work for. Respectfully submitted, Anna Forbes
Diane w.
What kind of payment is due and to who.
John A.
Will the retroactive adjustment also apply to former military enlisted personnel?
Kathy M.
President Biden and the 118th Congress deserve credit for passage of the SS Fairness Act!
Emma m.
It’s nice to give people an increase. But I’m not a social service and I’m not a government employee. And I’m not any of those things. What about the common everyday person who needs it?
Thank you.
Roberta j.
Is it just social security or does it include ssi to
T.Y.
Hi, Roberta. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive both a pension based on work not covered by Social Security and a Social Security benefit (retirement, spouse, disability, or survivor) may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn who will receive retroactive benefits and an increase in their monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.
Patricia J.
Does this means that SSA payments will go only to government workers?
Thankful for our president Trump taking action ASAP for everyone who is a civil servant. Thank you! God bless America 🇺🇸
D B.
Biden signed the act before leaving office! Let’s hope your current president doesn’t sign an executive order to rescind it.
Nosmo K.
I believe that President Biden signed this bill into law.