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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Cheryl
Does this include railroad workers?
S.D.
Hi, Cheryl. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Please visit the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board website to learn how the Social Security Fairness Act effects railroad retirement annuities. We hope this helps.
Patricia A.
Will the person who receives the one-time retroactive payment be required to claim the payment as income on his federal income tax filing?
Linda M.
SSA sent me an email asking for me to let them know of any changes:
“If you had any change in your pension amount between January 2022 and December 2023, please provide us with the date of the change and the old and new pension amounts. You do not need to report any changes that occurred after December 2023”. Wouldn’t SSA know this information already?
BTW, I qualify for refunds under the SSFA. TIA
Justina
I received that email, and also thought it was strange. My advice is to get in a queue to speak to an ssa rep. I called early, and used the call back option. The agent told me to hold onto supporting documents and wait for a letter. I got the impression they weren’t aware of the emails, or thought them to be spam. Maybe you’ll get updated info over what i was told. Best wishes!
Elizabeth T.
This was helpful, however the obvious grab for full credit from Mr. Trump is a sad reflection of the diminished independence of the SSA.
“…because the President understands how important it is to pay people what they are due right away” is disingenuous at the very least. The Fairness Act was strongly supported by congress and President Biden signed it into law. The SSA was on the case before the new president took office.
Carol S.
Yes, Biden gets the credit…Trump
tries to steal it…no surprise!
Yvonne H.
I just wanted to thank you for the extra help that you sent me God bless you and keep you safe always.
Jeffrey W.
Is Trump ending taxes on social security?
Alexis
According to AP: “Social Security Administration could cut up to 50% of its workforce” late on Feb 27. Will this affect retro checks and processing of ongoing payments? thank you!
Justina
My heart goes out to the employees whose lives will be upended by mass firings. They don’t deserve this harsh treatment.
Bobby H.
What figure are they basing the retroactive bonus for the winfall payment
The gross or net after Medicare payment
Ruby J.
Just my opinion from doing payrolls over 30 yrs, it most definitely should be based on the gross.
Bill M.
It SHOULD be the gross, the Medicare payments were made
Jcarrara
Thank you to all staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to get this unfair situation finally corrected. Regan and Tip O’Neil were crooks.
JOE K.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (OR WOMEN)