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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Tiffany M.
It’s not right for disabled people to get shoved to the side like they don’t matter when it comes to their benefits. And being penalized for being married they get less benefits and can’t afford to pay their bills or even afford things they need like groceries and hygiene products but can’t get help with medicade or foodstamps.
Rodney l.
I believe that people with disabilities should get raises hell im paying local water bills over 500 a month and I’m visually impaired so there goes getting a job because who wants to hire the blind. We need help and a raise in disabilities
Jim S.
People always Think they know so much, I worked from age 16 ( very part time) graduated age 18 joined the work force and I worked paying in full time from 16- 30 when I joined a fire department in 1989, Winter 1990 I began working my regular 42 hour week (adding in overtime) as well as part time seasonal driving trucks averaged 30-40 hours a week that I paid in on, Mind you I paid state and federal income tax On the money I made and Then They tell me yeah NO you cant get any Benefits beyond what we say you can have ?? Our pension Plan was changed from the Normal “best last 3 years ( pay & benefits) to you get 50% of your base salary and dont let the door hit you in the ass, Mind you 60 grand was top Base so 30 g to live in the richest state When I signed up for SS to get on medicare at 65 I was told OHH your golden because you will get a benefit !! I was please honestly , Most of 2023 my monthly was less but after a few It went up to 389 dollars a month My Medications If I was paying outta pocket are 3 time that Thanks to the democrats, But I am pleased To see this process begin to work out The way that it is and seeing the fraudulent payments to all the 250 year old spanish american and boxer rebellion era vets are getting all they deserve I figure 389 is 389 dollars less coming out of my meager savings SO thanks to all the political peeps on both sides who voted this as a fair and realistic venture for all who were screwed over on this silly reygun policy geeze IN all the years Biden was a representative Isnt it Odd He never brought this bill up to help “US” out….
Marquetta L.
Are ohio getting extra money with social security
Oretta b.
What does your retirement pay you receive have to do with what SSA owe you?
Peter b.
Peter Brown
does everyone who is receiving? SSI benefits currently get an increase in april?
Anne
What about people who are disabled, not from anything they did, and had to leave work early thus having fewer benefits?????
Linda B.
Get all the people who are getting Social Security illegally off and everything will be fine!
HANDY G.
I was a public service worker at a University, will I be compensated by Social Security?
David y.
Does it include ssi people