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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Cameron
My teacher wife retired 2023 at age 70, SS benefit was $950, reduced to $450 due to WEP. As the spouse, I should have been eligible to 50% of $450 but was denied due to GPO.
On 05 March, SS deposited $8,000 into my wife’s bank account. I am now eligible for 50%
of wife’s benefit, so I should receive $4,000 retro to Jan 2024.
Mary J.
This was all done by Joe Biden. Always looking out for the average citizens of this country. Definitely not the worst president in the history of our country. Thoughtful, caring and true.
Eleanor M.
Is it true that retired teachers in Massachusetts will benefit from this action taking place?
I never paid into SS, only my MA pention and was told that I qualify to receive the benefits.
Is this true?
C.B.
Hi, Eleanor. 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 had a non-covered pension from your work as a teacher, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
M. I.
Thank you SSA for swift and immediate action with the retroactive payment. I received mine on March 7th 2025 and am very thankful.
Stephany S.
Stop lying. Biden did this.
Alex N.
Thank GOD not man…
Roger S.
I enlisted in the U.S. military in 1969 and retired after 20 years in 1989. I have been receiving my deserved military retirement check ever since. I also worked as a GS rated employee for 8 1/4 years immediately after military retirement. I worked before I went into the military and worked after leaving the government in 1997 until I turned 70 in 2020. I also started early social security at age 62 in 2012. How or will the new social security benefits affect my social security pay?
C.B.
Hi, Roger. Thanks for reading our blog and for your questions. Earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security – a “non-covered pension” – are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). If you do not receive a non-covered pension, you will not receive a benefit increase due to the Social Security Fairness Act. For more information, read Military Service and Social Security. We hope this helps.
Roger S.
I enlisted in the U.S. military in 1969 and retired after 20 years in 1989. I have been receiving my deserved military retirement check ever since. I also worked for the U.S. government as a GS rated employee for 8 1/4 years after retiring from the service. I worked before I went into the military and worked after retirement until I turned 70 in 2020. I also started early social security at age 62 in 2012. How or will the new social security benefits affect my social security pay?
Roger S.
I enlisted in the U.S. military in 1969 and retired after 20 years in 1989. I have been receiving my deserved military retirement check ever since. I worked before I went into the military and worked after retirement until I turned 70 in 2020. I also started early social security at age 62 in 2012. How or will the new social security benefits affect my social security pay?
DKS
Thank you President Biden for making this law on 5 January 2025.
Like all of the wonderful things you accomplished?
President Trump will either destroy them or take credit.
We miss you so much, President Biden.
Stephany S.
Agreed. I can’t believe the level of gaslighting that’s going on, on the official level. Biden did this, not Trump. 🥵🥵🥵
Sheri D.
WHAT wonderful things are you speaking about? Making himself and Hunter multi millionaires or allowing illegals to live better than our veterans