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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Jacqualyn B.
Do these retroactive payments include SSDi recipients?such as myself?
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Jacqualyn. 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.
M M.
How far back will the check start
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. December 2023 is the last month that WEP and GPO will apply. This means that those rules no longer apply to benefits payable for January 2024 and later. For more information on how to proceed, please read the answer to the question, What should people do now that the Social Security Fairness Act is law? on our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Jr t.
Is Ssdi recipient eligible for retroactive payments? I have 20 years of substantial income before I became disabled?
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Jr t. 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.
Lee M.
Hi I received my lump sum payment today and I’m asking if the cola for 2024 and 2025 was included in that amount?
Norma J.
GREAT!
Dawn S.
I’m inquiring about fairness act passed to be paid your retroactive money so I in 2005 first became disabled. I did not receive a payment till April 2012 for $263 for some reason my money was withheld and the Child Support .they say I’m collecting workers comp I have copies that I supplied to ssdi in office ,mailed sent to senator. And no pending benefit march 2,2025 up till today actually that workers comp is being collected. I don’t get a dime from anybody and they have that I make over $2000 a month and I’ve tried to get this changed with Social Security disability and I get nowhere so I’ve appealed it about six times and I’m just ignored so this would be great by April 2025 we’re supposed to be paid our retroactive money and I did not receive a letter yet so I’m inquiring that I’m getting my benefits paid
Bill M.
For those who receive the SSA Fairness Act Lump Sum remember due to the efficient immediate distributions ordered by the President, no federal income taxes will be withheld even though the distribution is taxable by up to 85% based on your gross retirement income. Many will owe more federal income taxes for 2025 and in danger of not having enough federal income taxes withheld. Plan accordingly.
Lynn L.
What tax bracket do you refer to where the lump sum received could be taxed 85% even if added to your existing retirement income? That seems extreme.
Mary K.
Was the lump sum for 12 or 14 months?
Rose
Thank you for the reminder. Although President wants to eliminate SS tax, it hasn’t happened as of now.
Michael M.
If i recieve 22.000 in retro social security pmt.what would i owe at end of year?
Peter
Thanks for the heads up. It was great that President Biden made this happen.. I will plan accordingly..
Don C.
I worked as a police officer for 18 years, and paid into my own retirement. I did not receive any credit from SSA for those years as a substantial earnings year because of the WEP provision. I also had 24 years of substantial earnings from a job I worked after my retirement from my police job and pension. WEP provision did not go back and give me credit for those 18 years and adjust my social security pension. Why not? At the very least they should have made those years part of my SS!
Don
Bill M.
Because your civil service of 18 years was much higher than your SSA Earnings. For every $3.00 you earned in the civil service job you did not pay OASDI, $2.00 is deducted from your SSA Earnings. If that deduction totals at or more than your SSA Earnings, you will not receive a Social Security Benefit. So your situation is a special case that you need to contact SSA in April since you now should start receiving a monthly SSA Benefit and a lump sum payment as well. They will not address your situation till you call them some time in April. If you do not have an SSA online account yet, now is a good time to create one and request an earnings statement ASAP.
Lora 6.
I’m sorry that I’m confused does that go for SSI or for Windows benefits I received both thank you
ARMILDA R.
Will I get any payments my husband past away he worked for department of licensing.
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Armilda. The Social Security Fairness Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset (GPO). It’s possible you may be due retroactive payments if you previously applied for benefits as a spouse, divorced spouse, surviving spouse, or surviving divorced spouse. For more information on how to proceed, please read the answer to the question, What should people do now that the Social Security Fairness Act is law? on our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Lynn C.
I wish they would do away with the lifetime penalty for SSD recipients who didn’t take part B at first. I can see maybe a penalty, but a LIFETIME penalty is just ridiculous & unfair.