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.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: Social Security benefits
See CommentsAbout the Author
Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
Comments
Leave a Comment
Please review our Comment Policy before leaving a comment. For your safety, please do not post Personally Identifiable Information (such as your Social Security Number, address, phone number, email address, bank account number, or birthdate) on our blog.
Paula C.
well, I’m not gonna think anybody but God and sit back at all. These people who are on this SSDI and Social Security who don’t know about all these changes the older people it really bothers me I’m 55 and it had just happened to me losing my Medicaid now I get partial Medicaid that takes Humana away. Lost my food stamps, and I’ve worked all my life and paid taxes.
Stephen C.
I was a Philadelphia Firefighter
from Dec 4th 1994 until February of 2021.
Do I qualify for the SSA benefit as a result of The WEP?
C.B.
Hi, Stephen. 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 work as a firefighter, 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.
Michael
Thank you President Trump for making sure us Police officers who everyday sacrifice our lives to save others. Thank you
Ernesto P.
Thank you, AFGE & NFFE, President Biden & thankful, as well, to President Trump for expediting payment.
Very grateful to all of you!
Anne E.
Waking up 10 days ago to discover that my retroactive amount had been deposited to my checking account was a long-awaited milestone event. I then checked my SS account and was surprised to see that my new monthly benefit amount was displayed.
I started drawing SS benefits in July 2019 and, as is the case with most retirees, my Medicare Part B premiums were deducted every month. The other day, I noted an online comment pointing out that Part B premiums have been deducted from our retroactive payments. I “did the math” and it could explain why my new monthly benefit amount is lower than the gross figure quoted.
I haven’t read through comments posted here, but I’m curious if anyone has brought this up.
I plan to call SS tomorrow.
Holly
Thank you, President Trump, for implementing the Social Security Fairness Act.
Rosalinda A.
It’s nice to receive my retroactive payment. I need to know how much I save to pay taxes for next year income taxes. There is nothing in writing and I don’t want to be stuck not being able to pay the taxes. Does Social Security have tax deductions available?
Eve F.
Thank you, President Biden, from myself and all of the working people who will benefit from the Social Security benefit Act. As a widow, I am so very grateful.
Judy A.
Biden?
William A.
How do I know if I will get a retroactive sss check.
C.B.
Hi, William. 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 work, 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.
Sharon T.
Thank you President Biden for the surprise in my account I wasn’t expecting the amount.
Carol C.
Thank You President Biden