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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Ray D.
Thank you mr president p r e s I d
Beth S.
I think it’s unfair that everyone isn’t receiving an increase in their social security payments! Try living on $950 a month!
elizabeth B.
I AGREE!
Terrie R.
Oh i pray I am eligible. I could never survive on what I make. Being a waitress most of my young years, didnt give me much of an opportunity to accumulate a decent check.
Lisa F.
Does this mean my spouse will get spousal benefits for my SSDI ?
S.D.
Hi, Lisa. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. The Social Security Fairness Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). If your spouse receives a non-covered pension for work where they didn’t pay into Social Security, it’s possible they may now be able to get spouse benefits on your work record. In the past, their spouse benefits may have been reduced or eliminated by GPO if they also received a non-covered pension. To determine if your spouse needs to take any actions, please read the answer to the question, What should people do now that the Social Security Fairness Act is law? on our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. They may be due up to 50% of your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit. If their spouse benefit is higher than their own Social Security benefit, they may be able to get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse amount. To learn more about spouse benefits, check out our blog and our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Thomas W.
Great job by the ssa and its workforce……This will come as a most welcome relief to all those who were unfairly affected……Unfortunately many folks who were affected by this did not live long enough to see these unfair laws repealed. Also great jobs by our elected who voted this repeal into law and to correct this 40 year old laws.
Zelda D.
I was affected by WEP program which left me hardly enough money to live on. I’m receiving retirement funds from a job that I put 28 years into that didn’t take out SS. I also worked many years before that job where SS was taking out, but that doesn’t count.
So, my question is why isn’t those years taken into consideration???
T.Y.
Hello, Zelda. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount if you qualify. We hope this helps.
Twila E.
Hi, I’m on SSDI will my monthly benefit increase from $642.13 even a little? I’ve been struggling since June 5/2024 when my husband passed away. I’m not looking forward to being homeless when I can’t pay my rent anymore. $642 is not enough for anyone to live a halfway decent life with everything going up in price. Everything but my SSDI. I’m desperate and need help I will be 60 in 2 years. I never imagined I would be homeless at that age. It scares me to death.
T.Y.
Hi, Twila. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive both a pension based on work not covered by Social Security and a Social Security benefit (retirement, spouse, disability, or survivor) may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.
Jt
Thank you because a little more of something is better than alot less than nothing.
Jt
Thank you because a little more of something is better than another less than nothing.
Sean W.
Hi, my name is Sean Woodard. I was just wondering if I was eligible for the Social Security Fitness act
T.Y.
Hi. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.