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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Kerlie A.
Social Security has done a remarkable job implementing the Social Security Fairness Act. However, the amount of my retroactive payment for 2024 was reduced by Medicare premiums for the 12 months of 2024. I had already paid for those 2024 Medicare premiums in cash. How do I recover those amounts?
Jimmy C.
I’m 48 will I receive anything or do I qualify
Rose
How will retro wep pymt be taxed
Ken
It is March 23 and I have not received anything yet. Does that mean I won’t be receiving any retroactive payment?
C.B.
Hi, Ken. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases. Most state and local public employees – about 72% – work in Social Security-covered employment where they pay Social Security taxes. Therefore, their benefits have not been reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If you had a non-covered pension from work, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Nancy R.
How do we know whether or not we are due for a refund?
C.B.
Hi, Nancy. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases. Most state and local public employees – about 72% – work in Social Security-covered employment where they pay Social Security taxes. Therefore, their benefits have not been reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If you had a non-covered pension from work, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Eleanor K.
How do we know if we will receive these retroactive payments?
C.B.
Hi, Eleanor. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases. Most state and local public employees – about 72% – work in Social Security-covered employment where they pay Social Security taxes. Therefore, their benefits have not been reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If you had a non-covered pension from work, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Kimberly H.
I’m totally disabled, I’ve been getting SSI and SSA since 2021 will I get any benefits this month extra
C.B.
Hi, Kimberly. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases. Most state and local public employees – about 72% – work in Social Security-covered employment where they pay Social Security taxes. Therefore, their benefits have not been reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If you had a non-covered pension from work, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Dave
Fairness Act? Why only a year’s backpay? Why not all the pay we were duped out of? We paid in, we should receive what’s due. Anyone starting a class action for total fairness?
S. B.
Be happy w it, I sure am!
It could have very well kept going nowhere like it was going for the last 30 years.
Thank you, former Prez. Biden, thank you Congress, and Senate, thank you Prez Trump – you all gave this the green light ❤️. And thank you all those who lobbied
and worked hard, they never gave up and finally got it done
God Bless you all! I was very bitter about being WEPed, and I feel vindicated and really appreciate the back pay and increased SS monthly allowance.Social Security processed this extremely fast as well! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Stephanie G.
Social Security is not functioning very well. It is almost the end of March. I have not received a letter nor the funds owed to me for back Social Security under the new law. I have attempted to reach out to Social Security and never get a hold of them. that is unfair and inappropriate considering I work for the internal revenue service till what time I retired. They need to do a better job and get back to their people so Social Security needs to call me Stephanie Gill at 775-544-2281
Anonymous
Stephanie take your comment down. Don’t put your phone number on here.
Cherie l.
How willi know about retro
C.B.
Hi, Cherie. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases. Most state and local public employees – about 72% – work in Social Security-covered employment where they pay Social Security taxes. Therefore, their benefits have not been reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These individuals will not receive a benefit increase due to the new law. If you had a non-covered pension from work, you may receive back benefits and an increase on your own Social Security benefit. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Christine E.
Is anything being looked at to level out the ability for older workers to receive a higher payment on a monthly basis due to the fact that the maximum amount we could receive upon retirement was capped at a low amount but those who now retire are permitted to receive much greater amounts. Notwithstanding that pay has risen over the years feasibly allowing those affected to contribute more, it doesn’t change the fact that we are still living under same inflationary situation with no ability to draw a higher amount. Thanks for consideration of this issue on behalf of us older Americans.