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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Freddie W.
I have tried to contact SSA several times but because I live in Okinawa Japan they do not let me input my foreign address. Is there a way to contact the SSA from my overseas address?
C.B.
Hi, Freddie. Thanks for using our blog. Customers living outside the U.S. should create an account with ID.me following the instructions on our Service Around the World webpage. Many online services are now accessible overseas with an ID.me account. We hope this helps!
Jaynne
What about the people who had to take early retirement pay because of COVID?
It’s unfair that these people don’t get a retroactive payment as well because they earned and worked those 40!plus years snd paid taxes.
Albert F.
I want thank God 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Me being Single have no Kids Depending on AARP volunteer to do my Taxes and get my Refund, protect me from Fraud, Doing well All Doctors visits on no medication, Mentoring next Generation of leadership, At my Job with Growing 😇😇😇
Illinois Corporation Portillos Hotdog LLC
Mr Albert
Amy S.
When will they drop the amount you can earn without getting penalized and have to pay.I should be allowed to work and be productive as a nurse.
But I get penalized because I make to much money
Bonita V.
On February twenty-sixth, Two thousand twenty-five, I say THANK YOU again Social Security Administration for your timely and on time update for all American workers and retirees who are diligently and patiently “working” to update their earnings records to receive their correct retirement and pension benefits. For some, like myself retiring at age 62, it’s been a long journey for which our patience WILL be honored. Again, thank you so much for this helpful update! Bonita V., ..4295.4901.46205
Rebecca S.
I love America & want to balance the budget to prevent bankruptcy, so I think any retro pay from the fraudulent expenditures found by Doge in S.S. Dept should go directly toward the US debt. Doge found fraud but did not find actual cash so retro pay would result in more loans & interest!
Roger S.
I have looked at many of the postings on the internet regarding the new social security bill and approximately how much extra certain individuals will be getting BUT, I have not seen or heard anything about retired military when viewing these postings.
My question: Are retired military included in this bill and if so, when are they going to announce it or let us know about it?
Thank You
S.D.
Hi, Roger. Thanks for reading our blog and for your questions. Earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security – a “non-covered pension” – are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). If you do not receive a non-covered pension, you will not receive a benefit increase due to the Social Security Fairness Act. For more information, read our Military Service and Social Security publication. We hope this helps.
Contessa L.
I’ve lived on Disability/SSI as my Primary source of income throughout my adult life, but also as a single Mother to my one child that I didn’t receive support for. However I have simply been much to frightened by the expectations that are imposed upon myself just to attempt in having any version of a healthy long-term relationship. Because generally speaking, as a woman and being on a fixed income w a child, my income more than likely would probably not be equal but then upon the minute of living together I would be te one to be putting all my financial independence whatsoever in the trash immediately, as per SSI would count his income against my monthly payments and therefore be deducted accordingly… (to what standard i am not sure, the one of the big black line to ensure the USA keeps our Poverty Regulated like a Mandate to be sure- but cannot seem to create an effective solution for over-abundance of homelessness??) But as i was saying i had to keep my mind/heart from ever believing that I could even deserve to be married, lest I fall in love w man who would take advantage of my disabilities and therefore before I knew it I could essentially lose everything, only because I trusted the wrong person and of course reported my live in status to SSI… well after my son was ild enough and on his own that very thing happened to me. I didn’t even realize how much of a real risk that only myself was taking and we hadn’t even moved in together! But, even when needing a roommate the Government counts THEIR income against YOUR Payment, even though the reason is to save $$, because everybody’s income coynts AGAINST the ONE SSI which gets automatically Lowered- the Reciepant doesn’t save any $$, never gets ahead and God forbid trusts the wrong few people and gets left without anything to show for oneself- because nobody can invest in anything to create a formative net worth, let’s say to leave for their children or yes- disabled people who can effectively live independently w assistance have more fulfilling lives that also contribute to society rather than sticking everyone in drab group homes or foster care- where the sense of self dignity is stolen being treated as a helpless no gooder for life is a trap into lonliness and even potential violence or addiction- basically it’s all subtle poisons leaking in nd around within our culture that nobody speaks about nobody wants to look at and would rather avoid. It’s not complex nor are there many layers to what i am saying and the conclusion is pretty simple… STOP Punishing Disabled or SSI income dependent people for their Equal Right to Be Protected under civil liberties of the Free will to pursue life with a loving relationship without being afraid that to report it would create loss – to never find out what it’s like to love from fears of all the loss it could create IS by far all loss…
Mike R.
I am retired from the US Air Force and I do get a pension. Does this affect me?
S.D.
Hi, Mike. Thanks for reading our blog and for your questions. Earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security – a “non-covered pension” – are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). If you do not receive a non-covered pension, you will not receive a benefit increase due to the Social Security Fairness Act. For more information, read our Military Service and Social Security publication. We hope this helps.
Ross T.
Will my wife get any money
She has 40 years as a teacher
With some ssa paid into it 40 credits
S.D.
Hi, Ross. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases. Most state and local public employees – about 72% – work in Social Security-covered employment where they pay Social Security taxes and are not affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Those individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If your wife has a non-covered pension from her work as a teacher, she may receive an increase in her own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. If your wife has not already applied for spouse’s benefits on your work record, she may want to schedule an appointment by calling us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.