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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Kimberly A.
You should stop starting at the bottom. I’m working his way to the top. If he ever gets here and work his way down. I mean I paid 20% when I worked of my income. Went to federal tax and state. If Trump paid 20%, he’s a billionaire. He says he’s got 5 billion so he would owe $1 billion each year. Had 20%. Elon musk at one time had 400 million. I don’t know how much he has to know but 400 million I believe it would be 8.8 billion. He’d have to pay each year and if each billionaire in our country paid their own 20%. Instead of all these loopholes then probably people that got paid under $100,000 would not have to pay taxes at all. Either musk or Trump have any idea where the value of a dollar is? How to struggle to get through the month buying food never had that problem
Andree V.
I applied for social sec in 2011 only to be told that my small benefits would be subject to Wep and drastically reduced because I worked abroad for 2 years. My benefits were so reduced that they have not even fully covered my Medicare premiums for the last 14 years. I pay SSA extra just to cover that. I just turned 79 years old.how much longer do I wait to get the retroactive payment owed to me for 2023. If it takes too long,I will be dead before it arrives as I have been diagnosed with cancer. The government robbed me blind. Shame on you.
S.S.
We’re sorry to hear about your experience, Andree. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We encourage you to continue to work with your local Social Security office. You can ask to speak with a supervisor during your next call or visit. Or you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can also submit feedback by visiting our How can we help? webpage. From there, select the “Email Us” link. This will take you to the “Email Our Support Team” form where you can submit a compliment, complaint, or suggestion. We hope this is resolved soon.
Alexander F.
I know their is a lots of mistakes on my SSI and SSA? So please make me understand, how could this had happened? I’ve been working since I was fifteen years old. I was accepted into a government ceta program, by my case manager at the YMCA. Working at FORT SHAFTER GOVERNMENT BASE! And I can remember all of the jobs I’d work at! I deserve the right to haved been LAW A-ABIDING- CITIZENS. I KNOW EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES! Now I know how hard why these mistakes were made, their are millions of retirees during our eras. I DO SINCERELY UNDERSTAND AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THINGS RIGHT! I BELIEVE IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT!!! ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE… ALOHA
linda s.
Biden signed this into law on January 5th. The Republicans have been trying to get rid of or privatize SS since its inception. Trump is just a marketer and will take credit for things he has not done. Musk will be using his chainsaw on SS and MED. Don’t be foolish and think Trump had anything to do with making things better for the middle class and lower class.
Price, B.
It’s about time the government stopped stealing my money, but it looks like they are still at it. Back pay for one year is about another 9 years short, what’s up with this? Some fairness act? I don’t think I’m done with this, not happy, I’ve gone without to long!
Samuel A.
Price: We the People who work all their adult lives deserves all of the years from the start. In your case you deserve all the 10 years that you posted. God is in control. God is going to provide for his children. God knows who the corrupt people are and he will deal with them. It is in God timing will this be rectified. You are a great American! No one can’t take that away from you
Wanda L.
I retired in 2005, after my first retirement check approx. 500 dollars was deducted from my pension and 500 deducted from SS. A judge reversed it and he died before he completed the case Who can I contact about benefits due to the repeal of WEP and GPO?
S.S.
Hi Wanda, thank you for using our blog. For security reasons, we do not have access to personal information in this venue. It may be best for you to visit your local Social Security office to discuss your benefits. Hope this helps!
John P.
This was implemented by JOE BIDEN, and not insane Trump
LAST 4 Years!
Pat
I was just getting ready to ask that question did this come from Biden? and Trump want to take ctedit for it? His niece said in her book that Trump like to take credit for thing he didn’t do his father taught him that
Dru
Wrong. Biden stopped it from being implemented.Trump implemented.
Noel
Nope this was a bipartisan action taken by Congress. If Biden had pushed for this then it would have been completed long ago. He may have signed the bill, but this had been in the works for almost a decade. Amazing things happen in an election year!!
alice a.
insanity is anyone who could think now after the American people voted for Trump because he is the best and most amazing man on earth to even consider becoming president after satan the Democrat communist party destroyed and harmed more American citizens in history and can still be allowed to be free? all need to be tried as terriosts! shame on you i pray for your soul trump has done more and exposed more then any other politician why are you blaming the right party. maga is now the ruler. Gods people so watch out. you are owed nothing! i am a native American this country you stole from us. you owe it to me.
Merrill F.
The ConvictedFelonTraitor had NOTHING to do with this payment! How dare you you trash put this thank you on the website!
Obviously, this is why the letter was not received before the payment!
Jon D.
Crock .
Melissa C.
I worked for the City of Newport Tennessee for almost 12 years and had to take early retirement. Will I be eligible for the wellness act
C.B.
Hi, Melissa. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If you are referring to the Fairness Act, 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.