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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Jimmy L.
I didn’t receive my full amount of S.S.D.I payment for March
Phyllis R.
Finally, fairness prevails!! Thanks, President Trump, for the swift SS repayment. President Biden, this is the one Decent thing you did the entire 4yrs of your term.
dolores z.
is retroactive payments issued by alphbetical order
Becky G.
THANK YOU PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR PASSING THIS. Since most Republicans still voted not to pass it. Enough voted though to get it passed.
Rosalie G.
How is each new wave sent out?-is it by last name and direct deposit or how? also-what if the GOP is not specifically stated on the SSA Benefit(statement received for filing 2024 taxes) or on the 1099(survivor’s annuity for federal government-widower(female)–does this mean that I do not quality for the GOP or does it merely mean that the GOP should be stated on the documents? Thank you. Also, thank you so very much-President Joe Biden!!
BMT
Will City/State workers be included in this retroactive plan?
If you had not payed into the social security system for at least 6yrs.
S.S.
Hi, BMT. Thanks for reading our blog. 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. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Nick G.
Will Chicago teachers be included in this new SS policy?
S.S.
Hi, Nick. Thanks for reading our blog. 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. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
nancy s.
Is this payment tax free, are do we have to pay taxes on it?
ROSANNE F.
I was very surprised to see a large deposit into my bank account on March 5 2025 and fearing it was a mistake, spent hours trying to figure it out. Not being very computer literate, it’s taken me several days to figure it out….but I now understand. Thank you President Biden and thank you all for another ‘lesson learned’ in patience. An 83 yr old Federal Retiree
jayne r.
why are you thanking biden trump is the one who made this happen not sleepy joe
Vicki A.
President Biden had NOTHING to do with it. You can thank President Trump.
Jay G.
I also received a large deposit that I think is a mistake, what did you figure out?
Diane
Trump not Biden did this. Biden stole from the Ss dept
Sherry
It’s not President Biden. It is President Trump. He’s the greatest President, that there ever was.
Joanne M.
Thank you, Thank you 🙏 for my retroactive payment.