Social Security Pays Billions of Dollars in Retroactive Payments
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: March 5, 2025
The Social Security Administration (SSA) today shared its significant progress to quickly implement the Social Security Fairness Act. Through March 4, 2025, SSA has already paid 1,127,723 people more than $7.5 billion in retroactive payments. The retroactive payments are the result of the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). The average retroactive payment so far is $6,710.
“President Trump made it very clear he wanted the Social Security Fairness Act to be implemented as quickly as possible,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “We met that challenge head on and are proudly delivering for the American people.”
The WEP and GPO 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 agency continues to pay remaining retroactive payments and is ready to begin paying higher monthly benefit payments beginning in April for people’s March benefit.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: General Information, 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.
Cheryl
This was actually signed into law by Joe Biden. Donald Trump is just implementing it. There is no need for partisanship. The law was passed with bipartisan support in December 2024. Congratulations to all those Congressman who voted for it.
Jose A.
I have the same issues. I wonder how “fairness act” is going to afect my benefits. I was a school employee and had public employees retirement. So they withheld a portion of my SS retirement amount. So when I became disabled they recalculated my SSI amount using some formula that I still don’t understand. My SSI benefit did not increase by 2.5 %. So …
Robert C.
Thank you, President Trump!
God Bless you.
Marian W.
The bill was signed into law by President Biden. Trump had nothing to do with it! Credit where credit is due.
Justina
Thanks to the people who actually passed and this into law: Congress and President Biden.
Joan
Thank you, President Trump!
We absolutely love you and we are so grateful for everything that you are doing.
God has Blessed You, Sir, and You have Blessed us.
Joan
Lynda
The Felon Trump had NOTHING to do with this law. It was passed into law by Congress in 2024 and signed into law by PRESIDENT BIDEN on January 5. Thank President BIDEN!
Gail L.
Thank you, Mr. President!! We were about at the end of our rope. What a pleasant surprise!!
Bart S.
Was the retro active lump sum net of taxes?
Patricia W.
How do I find out if I’m eligible for this refund?
Terry J.
Thanks President Biden for finally pushing this through.No other president would.
John M.
I retired in 2013 from the Federal Government. I am under the civil service retirement system. Will I receive back pay to 2013?
C.B.
Hi, John. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If you had a non-covered pension from your work as a federal employee covered by the Civil Service Retirement System, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. 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.
John E.
You failed to inform this man that if his wife is retired and collecting SS, he could get spousal benefits up to 50% of her benefit
Helen H.
I only receive $950 in SS payments a month even though I have been in the workforce since 1993 paying my taxes and running a business. This amount doesn’t even cover my rent. Because of this I will have to work at some job or other until I die because my retirement amount is not enough to pay for my basic expenses. A pathetic state of affairs. I hope I qualify for an increase in my monthly retirement plan.
Bill
Social Security was NEVER meant to be all you would need to live when you retired. It was only to cover 40% of your retirement needs. You should have saved money over the years you worked to have enough to live comfortably in retirement.
Justina
Bill, you sound like you are, or will be, comfortable in retirement. Good for you. But I sincerely hope you will consider that everyone’s life situation might not be to your standards due to the unknowns we could all face. Taking care of a loved one, catastrophic illness, denials by insurance…
Last week I met a woman, probably in her 70s, working in a local store. She lost most of her savings taking care of her mother who had suffered a lengthy illness. This is just one instance. Bet there are many stories out there of people just trying to survive.