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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Susan
Thank you Congress for finally correcting this.
Janice R.
How do I find out if I’ll be getting this retroactive payment and the amount?
Roxanne
You should have been told at the time you applied for social security whether your amount was affected by the windfall provision or government pension offset. These provisions reduced the amount you would receive. If you do not have some other retirement pension, like a state or government pension, then you were not affected and would not receive a refund. If SS is the only pension you receive or are to receive, then you will not receive a refund check because no money was withheld from your SS payment due to another pension you were/or are to receive.
Dorothea S.
I do pay social security taxes on my social security check every month ‘ I retired years 2012! And I still pay taxes!
Nancy
Do you mean that you’re paying federal /state income tax? You shouldn’t be paying into Soc Sec on Soc Sec benefits, unless you are also working.
Abdulaziz A.
OK
Kathleen S.
I paid over $60k back to OPM because of the WIN, I pay back taxes on my disability social security every month and my pension. It’s ridiculous and unfair.
P.M
U will pay no state tax. However u will pay a federal tax. If your SS is under a certain amount, I think $1200. Than u won’t pay any tax at all.
G.Hedges
Thank you President Biden for signing this January 5th! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
kathy
of course, we all do. that’s because we never would have paid enough into SS to cover our payments for all the years we withdraw it. but thank BIDEN, who signed this Jan 5,2025 right before he left.
James S.
If Social Security is your only source of income, then you wouldn’t pay taxes on it. I’m guessing it’s not your only source of income. My father is a retired bank president with a mid six figure pension. He most definitely should pay taxes on his Social Security.
Helen S.
I also still pay taxes on Social Security which takes money from me and bills at a time when I need it the most.
Imelda M.
Thank you President Trump.
Monique C.
That was signed by Biden! Thank him
Justina
And the hardworking ssa employees who actually did the work.
G. R.
Yes, this was signed by President Biden on January 5th.
Frank.
Thank Pres Biden who pushed and signed the bill on Jan 5. 2025.
Fran B.
To David C:
President Biden signed this into law. Thank him.
Justina
Let’s thanks the ssa workers who made this happen quickly.
Patrica
Thank you President Biden & Congress.
President Biden wanted the law signed by January 6, 2025.
Patrica
Thank you President Biden & Congress.
President Biden wanted the law signed by January 6, 2025.
Justina
Thanks to President Biden for signing this into law, and to the hardworking ssa employees who made the payments happen.
Nancy W.
Trump did not pass this act! President Biden passed it on Jan 5th BEFORE Trump was inaugurated. It was introduced by Democrats.
Katie H.
Joe Biden did this before Trump took office.
P.M.
Trump hasn’t done anything yet. Let’s hope he cancels the federal tax.
Harold T.
It was Biden that signed the bill into law. Not Trump.
Pendie
President Biden passed this, not Trump.
Sandra F.
This is from President Biden. This was passed when President Biden was still in office.
Maria V.
Why would you thank him? He had nothing to do with the Fairness Act.
Maria V.
Sorry that I was not clear: Trump should not be thanked. It was Biden who needs to be thanked.
juan c.
True. The only good thing he did in his four years.
Jim C.
It was not Der Furhrer Drumpf. It was Uncle Joe, Aunt Kamala the Dem Senate and the Dem House minority leadership that got this done just two weeks before Drumpf’s coronation. Please get your facts & history correct.
Peace, Jim Chaney Denver
Deb
Love your reply! 😄 Peace out!!
Justina
😅 Had a couple glasses of wine, and we came up with King donnie the Doofus as our favorite. 😂
Mark R.
This law was passed under Joe Biden.
Mark R.
This law was passed under Joe Biden. The schedule has always been to make these payments in March 2025.
Donald
For once you can actually thank Joe Biden as this was put in action by him.
Trump and Musk will be trying to take it back soon enough.
Truth m.
President Biden signed the social security fairness act on January 5th. Had nothing to do with Trump
Lynda
This act was passed before Trump. Know your sources
Lynda R.
It was signed into law by President Biden.
Karen M.
It was Congress.
Eloise H.
Research this please, I think this was signed by Biden January5. Before Trump took office.
Roxanne
Trump told them to accelerate the process of payment. Under the Biden administration was when the bill was actually passed to eliminate the windfall provision/gpo altogether. It passed by bipartisan vote. There was no need to penalize individuals for working another job not covered by SS by taking from their SS payments. I worked 19.5 years in a state job and was penalized because I receive a state pension, when I could have sat home those 19.5 years and received the full SS payment for which I was eligible.
Mel
Yes, Biden signed this, but Congress was responsible for introducing and passing the bill. Remember Congress? They used to be one of three branches of government that had power to do things. Ah, the good ole days!
Carol
The Social Security Firness Act was bipartisan legislation and was signed into law on January 5, 2025 by President Biden.
Marion T.
I received my retro payment yesterday. Was very surprised to see it so soon. But more than pleased. Thought I would be dead before before Wep/GPO was elimination. Thanks to Congress.
Julie B.
Don’t you mean, thanks to President Trump?
Michelle H.
Thanks to President Trump!!! Get it right.
Roxanne
Marion did get it right! There would be no refund and increase in SS payments going forward if President Biden did not sign the bill which Congress passed eliminating the Windfall Provision and GPO. You can’t acceleration payments that would have never been paid without the bill passing and being signed into law. The Acting Commissioner probably knew exactly what he had to say…who to praise…the boastful one. The SS Administration said in early January that they would work swiftly to make sure individuals received payments.
Lynn
You realized that the new was passed before Trump.
Ray
I wish the Social Security administration would post their agenda so that recipients would have an idea when to expect their increase and retroactive payments.
Fran B.
President Biden signed this into law. Thank you, Biden.
Marie C.
YES
Anna C.
Me too Ray. I see one person that has received their retro has a last name that starts with C and another starts with T, so it’s not alphabetical. Frustrating.
Connie J.
My husband’s says payment was made on the SS portal but it’s sure not in his account. Seems confusing!
Carol H.
I do too!
P D.
I agree! We’d all like to know if we’re receiving any of our OWN money back!
David C.
Thank You President Trump for expedited the SSA to forward an retroactive payment on my SSA award .I retired under the old CRCS system & worked later in life to pay into SSA but my benefit was reduced . Your the best & God spared your life to be President again to make America Great again I voted for you Sir. God bless you !
James
This was done under the Biden’s administration. Thank Biden.
Maggie R.
Hello,
I was wondering, on how to maximize on my benefit. Since, I have hell many positions in the past years. including SSA as military, Navy, ODO, transfer have disappeared. Also, OPM.
I served 10 years. The claim was 20M. including everything. I did not had freedom to be able to file. Someone they got misplaced my retroacting pay. Because. I did not get pay. I would like to be advice on how to capitalizes my benefit.
Pendie
President Biden is the one who passed it. Thank him also.
Sandra F.
Thank President Biden. This was passed while President was still in office.
Maria V.
Why would anyone thank Trump? Biden approved administration approved this. I cannot understand why you would thank Trump who would not have even wanted this. Thank Biden and Congress!
Charmaine
Why are you thanking Trump? The bill was signed into law by President Biden, passed bipartisan during Biden’s term. Give credit where it is due, if you really care about facts and history!
Arthur C.
David,
You are sadly mistaken. It was President Biden who signed this costly legislation in December. If you think Trump would have signed this legislation, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Perhaps you forgot, it was President Regan back 40 years ago that reduced our social security benefits – why? Because Reagan believed federal retirees, police and others received a very good retirement, and therefore should not receive their full social security benefits. By the way, Reagan was another Republican. Also, only through the work of NARFE over the past 40 years has this struggle finally become a reality. I hope you are a member of NARFE. If not, now that you can afford it, you should join NARFE.
Lorraine
It was signed into law in January 2025 by then President Biden.
Gwendolyn H.
It said Biden signed the agreement not Trump!
Truth m.
Trump had nothing to do with it. President Biden signed the SS fairness act on Jan 5th and we were informed it would be a couple of months to receive the retroactive payments. Just as expected the felon is taking credit for any good thing Pres Biden did
Truthful
You mean president Biden who signed it on Jan 5th and Congress. Nothing to do with Trump
Robin B.
When I was approved for Medicare Part A & B due to a rare disease, I received a payment and my daughter received a lump sum payment also, which had to go to The Hartford for a Long Term Disability Plan that I opted in to through my employer. I received benefits for my LTD however my daughter did not. How can she get her payments due to her through Social Security?
T.Y.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Robin. Unfortunately, but for your safety, we do not have access to personal information in this venue. Through our blog page, we respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media. We do ask that members in our blog community contact their local Social Security office with questions about their specific case. To find the contact information of your local office, visit our Office Locator page. We hope this helps.
Mike G.
Thanks for your speedy attention to this matter, and your quick problem solving skills.
Charmaine
I’m sure President Biden would say thank you since the legislation was passed and signed while he was in office.
Kent K.
Will this one time payment be taxed?
Tom
Not decided yet, president Trump and the Republicans in Congress are working on it, but like always Democrats oppose anything Trump is in favor of
A. G.
It will probably be included in your 1099 for 2025.
Sharon
That’s an appropriate question. Thanks for asking. I’ll be looking out for an answer from SSA.