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.
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Jimmy R.
Will SSI recipient be getting it too?
Max M.
I worked ten years for a law enforcement agency that did not pay social security. I received social security based on the ten quarters I paid from other employment. Am I entitled to consideration under the recently passed legislation for an upgrade to my benefits?
Craig M.
Is this for real? I can’t wait for my check ✔️
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Craig. The Social Security Fairness Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits of people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security because they did not pay Social Security taxes. This law increases Social Security benefits for some workers 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. Learn more about the steps the Social Security Administration (SSA) is taking on our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Chris J.
Thx u Elon fo gitting ugh dis xtra mony. You be loking out fa us plane faulks
Brenda H.
Does this apply to widows of spouses who received soc sec but also got a soc sec check for other employment? Since my husband’s soc sec was less than mine, I didn’t receive his when he died. Assuming this wouldn’t apply to m?
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Brenda. The Social Security Fairness Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset (GPO). It’s possible you may be due retroactive payments if you previously applied for benefits as a spouse, divorced spouse, surviving spouse, or surviving divorced spouse. Those benefits could have been reduced, or even eliminated, by GPO because of the non-covered pension you receive from your work as a school bus driver. For more information on how to proceed, 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. We hope this helps.
Mary J.
Should I contact the Social Security office if I haven’t received a letter or back payment they took over half of my Social Security when I retired twenty yrs ago with the WEP ?
Sheila G.
How can I find out if I am eligible to receive it
T.Y.
Hi, Sheila. 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 more. We hope this helps.
Carl G.
Will we ever get an explanation of benifits as how everything was figured out as to what we where suppose to get.
Taxpayer
Since there is no schedule of payments, when should ppl be concerned if they haven’t received and how do they resolve…esp if offices are closing?
Abbie
I’m unable to find out how this affects widows. My husband worked for a town and did not pay into Social Security from that job, but had enough quarters paid from other jobs. He passed away at 61 while receiving SSDI due to having terminal cancer. Therefore, I started receiving his town pension. When I turned 60, I also began receiving his Social Security. Would his pension affect his Social Security only if he had lived to receive it and how does that affect me? I paid into enough quarters and never worked a government job.