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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Freddy P.
Are Railroad Retirement Benefits included in these changes?
T.Y.
Hi, Freddy. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security 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.
Carmen W.
With all the craziness of our imploding federal government, it’s refreshing to get truth directly from the source. Thank you
Roberta R.
Regardless of what political affiliation you belong to this was done with bipartisan support. This is how government should work. Thank you.
Karen
I am confused. These people did NOT pay any social security taxes but will now receive social security? They got their extra money in their paychecks; we had deductions for years and years. Doesn’t sound fair.
Please explain more as to why they are entitled-
Roberta R.
Have worked over 24 years in private (non government) paid into social security thru tax deductions. Then worked another 20 plus years for government. When retirement came was penalized for receiving a small pension for my government work. They took almost half of my social security away from me. If you worked below 30 years in private you did not get full ss benefits. Government workers pay taxes also and not all of us had high income jobs working for the government. Loved my jobs both in private and public. Went thru downsizing in both worlds. Financially a lot of people were hurting. Being a elder getting my full ss benefit helps me personally with food, medicine and bills. So very thankful.
Kenneth D.
These people worked in a non covered job and received a pension and either before or after this employment worked in a covered job and earned at least 40 quarters. Their SS was reduced by as much as 60%. This new law did away with that reduction. They will receive a lump sum for the year 2024 so if it was reduced by $300 they will receive 3600 and then the benefit will reflect the correct amount from now on.
RICH K.
What about individuals due compensation but have passed away.
Marge
I wonder how SS will know individuals affected by WEP and GPO?
Nick_M
They have their account flagged in their system. An e-mail, was sent, in my case on 02/26/2024, to everyone affected by the WEP and GPO. E-Mail Subject: Good News from the Social Security Administration
David P.
I’m an ex-government employee. Social security sent me a payment going back to July 2024, not Jan 2024 because they stated that the retroactive payment only goes back 6 months. If this is the case you should apply online now.
Pam
What about no taxes on social security
Boyd F.
This is a total injustice to all the people that paid into social security their entire working careers!! Now they are going to give social security monthly payments to people who never paid in a dime. For those of us who paid in it was even an option, it was mandatory.
Roberta R.
Not true. My example is that I paid for over 25 years into ss when first started working in private employment, then worked the later part of my years in government. Because of receiving a small pension my ss benefit was cut by almost 50%. Paid taxes into ss, federal, local, city. Not asking for handout just our full benefit we paid ss taxes into. If you never paid ss taxes at all it does not apply. This for the people who worked both private and government in their lives.
Marlene
Thank you for explaining!
Mike M.
Thank you President Trump and Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, for expediting the benefit payments to all of us who will be receiving a one-time retro check and increased monthly benefits. It’s been a long time coming, and this is proof that President Trump is the GOAT, promises made and promises kept! Keep up the great work to Make America Great Again. Thank you to Elon Musk and his team for all they are doing to rid our Government of “Waste, Fraud & Abuse.” Is this a great Country, or what!!!!
Trung B.
I want to thank SSA Staff for sending the SSFA updates. You’re doing an incredible, outstanding job with very limited staff and resources. Keep up the good work!