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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Ralph j.
How about removing taxation from our social security monthly payment to us as the President said he’d like to do?
Paul W.
When will we as senior citizen get back our 3.2 % increase
That Obama stopped..
John R.
I applied for SS retirement in January 2025 to receive payments beginning with my FRA of March 2025. I worked a municipal Civil Service job and collect a pension. The article addresses those who are currently collecting SS and are/were affected by WEP or GPO. Where do people like myself stand, who retired from Civil Service, collect a pension and have recently applied for SS retirement?
S.D.
Hi, John. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your Social Security benefits don’t start until March, they will not be reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Carloss H.
As usual I saw that this mainly involves people who are or have been working with the government in one form of capacity or another. I didn’t see where it involved the everyday taxpayers. This puts me in mind of what Elon Musk was saying. He said that he’s considering giving everyone 5000 dollars. That’s about a empty statement that anyone could ever give. All he did was get alot of peoples hopes up. I’ve considered alot of different things but that doesn’t mean that I ever followed through with them. To me that’s just like another kick in the teeth. Just like what this statement is. Another kick in the teeth.
Willieboy
During the Obama administration they didn’t even gave a decent raise we didn’t get any raise for 8 yrs the government owes us at least that amount us seniors have to decide to eat or pay for meds and food some country medical is free Cuba is one of them ….
Timothy J.
Please help! My SSDI was approved in July 2024, and monthly payments began in August—but I HAVE NOT received my back pay, NOR even a letter regarding it! I cannot get any answers and keep getting told to call back in 30 days. This is four years of back pay that I’m owed!!
C.B.
Hi, Timothy. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. For your security, we do not have access to your private information in this venue. To speak with a representative about your benefits and back pay, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can also contact your local Social Security office. Ask to speak to a supervisor on your next call. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Colleen J.
Thank you.
McMahel
If they did not pay Social security they should not get it they have pension it takes away SSII for the future
Kenneth D.
In order to be covered by this law they had to have earned 40 quarters or more.
Chris A.
Sure wish I had that too. My wife that died worked for the government doing DME Claims but you didn’t have any pension. Oh well guess I’m screwed again but it’s got to get better somehow.
Robert G.
D0 people receive the check if they get ssdi
T.Y.
Hi, Robert. 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 when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.