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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Jacqueline M.
I Jacqueline Hart did not ask for a code
Robin D.
Why can’t the government stop all these scams or promises of payments that pop up about us the are struggling with income below poverty levels getting stimulus are help from the government that only gives us hope but the truth is government doesn’t care about us!
John
How true
Ana O.
Hi! There is no stimulus checks for the public. The increase is for those persons who paid into FICA through a regular job/s, but at least one time before or after that job/s that person worked for a county, state or federal office or career. Those persons did not pay into FICA so they don’t receive ANY monies based on those earnings. What happened was that the SS said since they did not pay into FICA because those job/s has a pension/annuity they were punished by reducing their TRUE FULL benefits. Not fair that for years that I and 3.1 million persons SS checks were reduced from the very start. Very simple: I paid into FICA $500, for example, then retired from the County, then started SS benefits. It does not matter if Im withdrawing from the annuity/pension (!!) or not, the fact is that SS did not calculate my benefits of $500, but punished me $120.00 so it’s calculated at $380.00. Then Medicare, taxes are debited leaving me, let’s say, $270.00. What happened to the $120 that I paid into years ago: SS kept it and made billions off interest from that $120, plus the 3.1 millions retirees. I and others are only receiving a portion of what we paid into. When I applied for SS years ago, the in-person interviewer did not ask me if I was going to withdraw or not. SS just needs to know if I have at least one.
Ann H.
Retroactive Payments. When is this coming to us. I have heard from a few people that received this to their Bank Accounts. Where is mine??? No letter to explain this either??
John C.
My name is John Coleman and I live in Jacksonville Florida I would like to be updated prompt and directed in the direction where I may be able to apply for the benefit
John C.
Please send me prompt directions as to how I may apply for the benefit
Mary H.
Visit the SSA Website:
Go to the official Social Security Administration website: http://www.ssa.gov/retirement
Apply online. There should be prompts to guide you.
C.B.
Hi, John. Thanks for reading our blog. You do not need to apply. 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. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
voklst
its only for Firefighters, teachers, Railroad workers civil employees, who paid in, but could not receive when they retired becuz they were b.s.-ed, that they were double dipping! due to their union retirement. these people did pay Both (or more) retirement funds but corrupt cabal thru US treasury & soc sec told them “no soup for you!”
no soc sec for you.
Judy
If they didn’t pay into social security, and it’s my understanding they didn’t, because I know people who have worked for the RR, for example, and they say they dont pay into SS. That should make this fairness act illegal.
Jodi
Judy,Judy,Judy, I believe you may be misinformed. This is for people who have at on point in their career paid into FICA but were not able to collect the full SS benefits because they also received a government pension for working for a government entity at some point. This is not illegal, it’s fairness just like the act is named.
FRANK C.
i worked for the Government from 1973 till i retired in 1996 i was under CSRS until President Reagan changed it in 1984 i hope i qualify
Lisa
Jodi,
Thank you for attempting to inform people of the Fairness Act; particularly those who have not taken the initiative to read the “Act,” process the depth of it and use critical thinking. It’s so sad that some people clearly don’t understand and continue to spread misinformation and confusion.
Mary H.
I found this: “We have been able to expedite payments due to the use of automation. For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount.” That’s on the SSA website.
I’m just like you, bewildered! I got my letter but can’t understand it! I’ll wait for awhile in case a second letter is on the way.
Susan S.
I received a check for less than my normal amount on March 6,2025. Today I got a letter from social security stating I was getting an increase effective on my April 4th Wednesday for March. There was no mention of getting my normal check for February on the 4th Wednesday of March.
Soo… either I’m short several hundred dollars for February or does the government intend to pay me my regular rate on the 4th Wednesday of March.
Signed very confused in Dallas Texas
Judy
This is only going to apply to about 3.2 million people, as the article stated. Those that had jobs not covered by social security. Government type jobs, school teachers, firefighters, etc. In other words, those who didn’t pay into social security. Jobs that provided a pension. I don’t see how this can be legal, as that will deplete the SS fund that much quicker. SS is an entitlement for those who paid into it and may not have any other means of retirement.
Vicky
Joe Biden might have mentioned it. But didn’t put it into action so Trump gets the credit for starting it. I don’t know if SSI recipients get the boost or not but I struggle everyday because of how high everything is can’t afford to buy clothes or anything. Hopefully SSI will get it too
GAIL S.
I absolutely agree with you when my husband was alive he paid his social security ahead and ended up on disability due to PTSD and a back injury he acquired . Now since he’s has passed away I am struggling to keep up with rising costs of living and it’s aggravating when all that we saw was everyone else was receiving stimulus checks left and right and it was going to the people that knew how to work the system to steal tax payers money which is and our money yes you can pretty much say that I am very upset about this. I will keep everyone who has been waiting so long for their money that’s rightfully theirs I am not afraid to say my name and my name is Gail Shapiro.
Liz G.
Actually, Biden signed it into law Rump has nothing to do with it
Sandy
I can not find out when my retroactive payment will be applied to me. I have talked to a very nice person on the phone but did not get an answer. Do I have to wait a year or more to receive my payments will I still be around. I know 4 people who have already received their payments and in my zip code 233 have received their payments now I am suppose to wait till April to maybe get an update. This does not seem fair to me. No.d
bob l.
just received my letter about fairness act .no where in the letter does it say if the retroactive payment we will receive is taxable or in what year it will be included if it bis taxable . i already sent in my 2024 tax forms in
Harvey J.
You can file an Amended tax return.
Joseph M.
You are receiving it in 2025. It is taxable in 2025 unless President Trump makes social security non-taxable. You are on the cash basis.
Sherry M.
I’m a widow and my husband and I both were eligible for social security benefits, but he died on his 62 birthday; didn’t get to receive a dime nor did I. When I filed for my social benefits 10 years later, I could only collect on my earnings because I had made more money, not both husband and me. Shouldn’t I have received his social security for the 10 years leading up to my claim and shouldn’t it have been for both of us?
Bell V.
I googled that question a couple of weeks ago. If you been married to your spouse for 10 years or more, you both can collect from each other. I’m 65 and receiving ssc. My wife turns 62 at the end of the month. They said I can’t start collecting her share til she start receiving her benefits. I hope this helped.
S.S.
Hi Sherry. Thank you for reading our blog and for your question. If you receive retirement benefits on your own record, you can only apply for benefits as a surviving spouse if the retirement benefit that you receive is less than the benefits you would receive as a survivor. Generally, survivors benefits are paid at a higher percentage than regular spouse or divorced spouse benefits. For more information on survivors benefits visit our survivors page. We hope this information helps.
Shirley W.
I would love for any increase to my Social Secutity check. I’m barely getting by.
Pat
Trump always want to take credit for something he did not do his father always taught him to take the credit
Thanks you Joe Biden 🙂
Phurst A.
Biden didn’t do anything that much is true and He did take false credit for discounting
Drugs for diabetes which was first floated by the Pharmaceutical imdustry themselves , then Trump worked out the red tape and the legal end with an implementation date in 2023 . deal was done Before Lying Biden it just took effect under his watch .
Toby T.
President Biden signed the change‼️
Liz G.
Fake news
Linda S.
That’s a bunch of B’S!! All sleepy Joe did was put us in more debt!! Or should I say who ever ( Obummer) working behind the scenes!! Sleepy Joe didn’t know his head from his ass!! So if SS gets a raise it would be thank you President Trump 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇸🇺🇸
Michael R.
Thank you President Trump!!!!!
Liz G.
That thank you belongs to ex-President Biden
Liz G.
Amen!
Julian W.
I am so thankful I am good now of getting help After all these years of struggling paycheck to paycheck Now that I’m retired enjoy most Of my life has taken care Of my 17 year old kid Which I Been raising 14 1/2 years by myself With out child support MLB 63 four months I had to work day and night to pay the bills and get my kids set for college that’s the only thing I knew how to do Is focus on my kids education and I continue doing so I’m very grateful to the beginning extra help so thank you thank you And may God bless you as well thank you