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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Kim N.
Will Charter School teachers receive this since we do not get a pension?
S.S.
Hi, Kim. 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. Therefore, their benefits have not been reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If you have a non-covered pension from your work as a teacher, you may receive back benefits and an increase in your Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Janay D.
I’m a divorced retired teacher. Will I be able to claim my ex husband’s social security since I had a separate pension.
denise
What about death of a child? I receive benefits for our grandchild
Anne P.
Still waiting for my retroactive payment to my bank acct.,
Nate J.
How is that possible? Our son got ssi his whole life but was cut when he passed away at 14. Is from another source?
Karen M.
Are income taxes due on retroactive one time lump sum payments from January 2024, due to the calculations from the recently passed WEP act?
Venessa G.
My case is complicated because I was a fed for over 25 years. I have equal time in private industry and am currently working although I retired from the government 20 years ago. I am also a survivor since my husband’s death 12 years ago. I was double penalized for both situations and wonder how the Fairness Act is going to affect me.
Sharon L.
That sounds great
Hank D.
You’re gonna receive some money, starting with a back paycheck. That back paycheck will be about 14 months worth of whatever you’re pay increase is gonna be. And then according to what I read your March payment which you will receive in April will start to reflect the amount of the monthly increase.
Pat
Thank you President Biden for signing this bill and finally making it happen.
Linda C.
Thank you President Biden!
Linda S.
Biden didn’t do anything except put the American people in debt and can’t afford groceries!! He made sure he took care of all the illegals with the American people tax payers money!! So I don’t understand why any American person would ever thank Biden!!
Justina
Biden handed a strong economy to this admin. It’s already in shambles. If you think it was bad, just wait until the tariffs kick in everywhere. Inflation is rising, and recession is on its way. On top of that the former ssa head said the doge cuts could interrupt payments 30 to 90 days from now.
Polecatmtn
Agree!
James
Biden thought he was placing his yearly order gift ice cream when he signed it.
Justina
Person Woman Man Camera TV.
And hope you aren’t trying a second career at joke writing.
Edna B.
My husband retired as a police officer in MD and paid into the Towns pension plan. I worked and retired from the Register of Wills Office and paid into my retirement. Will either of us receive an increase from Social Security due to the Windfall Act?
S.S.
Hi, Edna. 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.
Candido I.
Yo entiendo que la deuda de 36 triñones de dólares que tienen los EUA es muy grande, pero yo me pregunto fue culpa de los contribuyentes que haya ocurrido esta deuda, o fue por el mal desempeño de los gobiernos anteriores, ahora ustedes se disponen a retribuir algunos estadounidenses, y yo me pregunto los otros no tienen derecho, es que acaso no pagamos impuestos todos.
Roberto D.
Estoy de acuerdo contigo. Todos deberiamos de recibir alguna ayuda, todos contribuimos.
Christine K.
So will people receiving regular Social Security monthly see a bump this year besides the 2.5 we already got?
Rosie w.
Do this mean my monthly payment goes up.in April 2025.
Elsa
I retired from CSRS, I fell under WEP. How does the SSA know who is effected by the Fairness Act?
S.S.
Hi, Elsa. 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.