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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Judith S.
We Medicare peeps desperately need help for dental insurance that helps us stay alive with implants and good dental care that is sooo out of our reach because of costs from dental care.
Do you know how small our income from the past and SS allows us to spend ten thousand dollars to have this care?Widows can’t save our teeth to be able to live in this century!
Rose
Many Medicare advantage plans include significant dental.
DOROTHY K.
Does the retro payment and increase apply to the survivors also. My husband has passed, and he was the federal employee. As his survivor, will I see a payment and increase also
Rose
Yes. Dependents, survivors, spouses. If primary earners benefit increased, those drawing off primary are affected.
Larry
Please add a way to upload requested information on mysocialsecurity.com so it is secure and doesn’t require hours waiting on the telephone lines to get assistance.
C.B.
Hi, Larry. Thank you for using our blog. And thanks for your suggestion about uploading information into your account. You can submit your suggestion by visiting our Contact Us page. Once there, select the “Email Us” link. This will take you to the “Email A Question to our Support Team” form, where you can submit your suggestion. You can also complete our Feedback Form, which will give our team a better understanding of how we can improve our processes. We value your opinion and look forward to hearing from you.
Kathy G.
I was told that President Trupm passed into law that SS will no longer be taxed. Is this true ? It is about time. It is very little and enough to live on in this current day and age.
Rose
It has to be legislated. Hasn’t happened yet. Looks promising, but not yet.
K J.
I get SSD and survivor benefits but for the last 5 months social security has withheld my social security disability check all of it and could not tell me why so I have had to borrow money to pay my bills .Now I got a letter stating they over paid me almost 900.00 that I now have to pay them but they have with held whole checks for 5 months How do they figure I now owe them?
S.S.
Hi, K Jo. Thanks for reading our blog. We are very sorry to hear this. For your security, we do not have access to your private information in this venue. To speak with a representative about your overpayment, 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. We hope this helps.
Deana M.
I am disabled been getting benefits that are not enough for my living expenses I have not received no kind of stimulus or any other payment I was supposed to get..its not right .maybe the good lord will bless me to get this one ..I pray he does really need it.
Charley T.
These payments are due to legislation passed under the Biden administration, and are not attributable to the destroyer.
Betty B.
you are saying that the Biden administration is the one who deserves the credit for the much needed and deserved increases to our social security, and not President Trump, whom you refer to as “the destroyer??! I call bs. If Biden were in now, those of us on ss would continue to struggle, possibly even worse. I’m humbly grateful that I have what I receive now, and these increases from President Trump will help considerably.
Jennie R.
Trump had nothing to do with this legislation. President Biden signed this into law in January 5, it was passed with strong bipartisan support late last year.
Rose
Nice try. President Trump was on record stating he would sign. Also President Trump promotes no tax on SS.
Justina
He also said he wouldn’t cut medicaid, but look at what’s happening now.
Didra T.
I just get a early retirement check I’m 64 & I get $546 which is very little to live on, my husband 70 years old gets $1580. Not much either & hes past full age retirement. We barely make it. Am I reading right? Are we going to get more money? I got $10 more in January & my husband got $39 more but they took away our $139 in food stamps which did nothing but hurt us. We can’t afford food as it is… We can’t even tell we got that little bit of a increase, so am asking are we going to get more money in March 2025
Jennie R.
Only if you or your husband were affected by WEP or GPO.
Charlene
If you were a fire fighter and injured on the job put on social security disability will you get a increase in monthly payments
S.S.
Hi, Charlene. 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.
Emma
I notice how the press release mentions President Trump feels it is important to expedite the payment. Getting this legislation passed was a years-long process but of course he is patting himself on the back. I laughed out loud at the place where it says “the president understands how important it is for people to get paid right away.” He must have just learned that recently because he is notorious for stiffing people he owes money to. I’m happy to get this money but it’s not going to change the way I feel about DT.
LINDA R.
This has been a 20 years long battle to get it passed. It would have been nice if we actually got all the money back they owed us instead of just a years worth. I agree about the “Liar in Chief” making it look like he had anything to do with it. He didn’t want it passed the first time he was in office.
Rose
He put in a commissioner who expedited the process days of appointment. Last commissioner said it will take a year.