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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Kathleen S.
What about the high part B they take out of your social security, and co pays, and yearly deductibles yikes, I get like 9 dollars etc a year . I’ve worked since I was 16 yrs old until I was 67 yrs old.
They’ve taken my money for a long time and we’re still getting the shaft.
Mary
Do ppl that are on disability receive this?
S.D.
Hi, Mary. Thank you for reading our blog and for your question. The Social Security Fairness Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Before the law was passed, WEP reduced Social Security retirement or disability benefits for many people who also receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a “non-covered pension”). GPO reduced or eliminated spouse or surviving spouse benefits for people who have a non-covered pension. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
If you receive civil service disability benefits, state temporary disability benefits, or state or local government retirement benefits that are based on disability, they may continue to reduce your Social Security benefits. To learn more, read How Workers’ Compensation and Other Disability Payments May Affect Your Benefits. We hope this helps.
June A.
Will we be receiving a computation on how you came up with amount?
Theresa A.
I am an 85 year old woman and in excellent mental and physical health. My question asks why those who are in such good shape are not included in the new rates increases for social security.
Jake F.
Yeah right.
Richard B.
I worked for the Railroad and the state of N.Y .. I get RR retirement plus SS, will I get anything from the fairness Act?
Theresa A.
Why is my SSN payment so low and why do I not get a decent amount?
Gerri B.
Thanks Trump for caring about all people.
Rosario d.
Trump had nothing to do with it
Biden signed the bill
T.Zarvis
Don’t believe it and why teachers who incessantly caterwaul they’re not paid or respected enough
Shhhh, don’t talk bad about teacher or you could find it on ur permanent record
Gym N.
Hey (Whatever goes in here now) I taught for 30 years. Previously I worked at a W-2 job for 15 years paying into your social security fund only to find out that my Social security would be eliminated due to receiving a state pension. How fair is it that the legislators aren’t affected by this? They serve a term and get full lifetime benefits, plus their social security and their pensions. So don’t give me that BS about teachers getting more than they should!! Perhaps the teachers that had you in their class should have been paid hazard pay for what they had to it up with. Go home and worry about the Nazi regime that will soon take over your life!!
Eric
When I was a young boy in Texas after regular school wanted to put new in special classes my parents put me in a Southern Baptist School & the nuns in class kept hitting my hand with a wood stick becouse I can not write without 3 fingers and my thumb. Still true today 40 years later.
Carolyn A.
You did not like your teachers? Why do you resent teachers?
Sharon H.
Really, Mr. Zarvis, teachers have been given the task of raising everyone’s children. They are to teach them social skills, education, vocation and how to behave in society because parents these days do not. They are busy on their phones setting a great example or pawning their children on someone else. When are parents going to start being accountable for their children!! There’s no way in **** I would be a teacher!!! They will never get paid enough!!!
Ken H.
Just curious, if they did not pay into social security because of their job and special pension, then how can they pull money from social security? Maybe I am missing something?
pat f.
Will people who didn’t pay into the system enough to receive any SSA now get back the money they paid in?
Anna H.
What about retroactive payments for people who lost money because they got married
Then there’s all these people who don’t get married because they will get their benefits lowered
You are protecting the workers but you are not protecting the disabled
Dana S.
I just read the entire story and I didn’t see word one about not helping .. anyone. MAYBE wait till April and see what happens?
As far as married/not .. those that don’t get married lose out when it comes to other matters and those that DO get married? They know full well what happens. If you decide to marry, it’s supposed to be to someone that can take care of you.
Angie
I agree 100%
Sharon B.
The married/disabled people have to live in poverty and suffer to survive physically and mentally! They will always find 101 ways to cheat us out of money!
Pamela
I hear you sister once again SSDI got it up the ass again and this time no Vaseline
Belinda
That is so true. I know too many people that refused to get married because it would lower their benefit amount.
Beverly L.
Preach they doing everything backwards instead of helping the disability people they want to help the workers it doesn’t make any sense
Valerie F.
That’s so true. I tried to do a part time job and then social security making me pay for working so my benefits are 1500.00 .
They are taking it back so I don’t understand. 1000.00 per month and I can’t find a low income housing My income is to low.
So if I was getting the regular payments should be at the least fair amount of money.
I’m below poverty and I will be homeless any day now.
I’m going crazy just trying to find a place to live!!
Sarah L.
Will I get a better payment taking my husbands social security because he wa sick and took his early . I have to take the lesser amount!? Does not seem fair??
I had not worked much .
bob
You don’t make any sense with your comments.