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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Dianne P.
I am starting to fear the WEP retro check will never arrive. I also did not receive my increased SS benefit today, same amount as last month. This is so unfair. There should be no problem with my SS information calculation. Three quarters of WEP population have received retros. Why is it taking so long for the last quarter, which is me??
Manuel P.
I have called Social Security about my backpay, all they tell me “haven’t got to you yet, ask if the months waited for the payment will be added to my check and no answer. The Rep I spoke to seemed to think it was funny. Very unprofessional!
Barbara k.
What makes a case complex and unable to be processed automatically? Also, is there any order in which the simple cases are being processed (i.e., alphabetically)? My case falls under the WEP and I have not received a retroactive payment yet. I have called 1-800-772-1213 and was referred to my local ssa office, who verified that I am eligible for the WEP but was unable to tell me when it will be processed. Are the simple cases that were supposed to be processed by the end of March still being processed? Thanks.
Shanna G.
My new phone number is 814-363-3273
LJ
Any fairness going toward disabled people? I was awarded my case last year and surprise surprise, the SSA refuses to uphold it.
ALEX
I got a nice little unexpected sum direct deposited today. 😊
Susan
Did you receive your check based on repeal of Government Pension Offset? If so, did your payment go back 6 months or from 1/24?
Jason E.
Last time the government was supposed to send me a check, they deposited it into an account in my name I no longer had access to. That had better not happen with this, too.
Andrea H.
If you didn’t call or go to the Social Security administration and change the wrong information to the correct checking account information then it probably will happen again. Then that would be no ones fault but yours not the social security administrations fault if you dont give them the correct information to deposit your money! You best go take care of business if you dont want it to happen again!
Cj
Under the gpo fairness act I was awarded spousal benefit. I am now under my husbands ss. Will I also receive a retroactive lump sum
Kaye B.
I did not get my backpay like to know why
Brenda j.
I was wondering if I will receive retroactive payment due to the fairness act. My husband passed away and I had previously applied when I got to my own government retirement only to be denied his ss. And will I get a letter about this.
Steve
Agent said I would get deposit this morning. Nooo back pay yet. Called claim technician need to do it manually. I’m homeless with a child. The lady at Bakersfield office rude. They lie and give excuses. People are dying.
gsaavedra0629@gmail.com
I’m a GPO surviving spouse am I entitled to the Fairness act benefits
Martha A.
I truly hope i can be helped with this.
Jeannette C.
That’s all well and good, but what about those had their pay from SS cut and will not reap the same benefits just because it came into effect in 2024. My husband collected less than half but since he retired before 2024 this doesn’t apply to him.
So much for fairness, not for him and not for many others. He served as Law Enforcement Officer, when he retired under the WFP …wow that was not really fair, he served the same position, as the newer officers, as a matter of fact the pay scale was much lower for those who were VICTIMS to the WINDFALL. Many think that law should have never happened. I’m curious who in congress voted for this and how it was determined that not everyone affected by WFP was not entitled to the same compensation….Its too bad when this was voted on, no one thought of those not receiving the same compensation for doing the same jobs, serving their citizens. Teachers don’t put their life on the line, Law Enforcement does….it would have been nice if Congress would have considered All or None.
FRANK C.
The Social Security tells me that my information must be done manually could take a year maybe November. With all my health issues and being77 i might never see they can’t tell me the amount or when i might receive anything.just sit back and wait like i have plenty of time.
Rusty P.
I don’t blame you!
I’ve call several times first they tell me it’s pending, but they don’t know when it’ll be there. They don’t tell you how much they just say you’ll get something in the mail or perhaps you won’t you’ll get the payment before the mail letter then I call again they say yes you’re eligible everything’s today. We got everything we need and they’re processing your case. You should get it in 30 days or more. Please be patient I said is my complex she said no it isn’t so go figure. When am I getting it?
Debra
Ye theis very frustrating I have waited 22yrs for the wep/gpo to be abolish, Now we must wait for SSA to work on this task, I believe they are trying their best to get the retro out to us as efficient as possible. Believe me,I can image the urgency but let us be thankful the bill was pass and SSA is serving,as best they can!
Debra
Patricia
I’m an 81-year-old whose spouse worked for the school district 20 yrs. They started taking part of my SS in 2010. My husband chose to pay into SS when he worked for the district along with his pension. Finally, we’re supposed to be compensated for the loss, and they put me at the end of the line. Thoughtful of them. It’s a good thing I’m in good health. I can only hope it stays that way long enough to receive it.