Celebrating Our Recent Social Security Fairness Act Milestone and What It May Mean for You
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: July 10, 2025
We recently celebrated a key milestone by announcing that we completed sending over 3.1 million payments, totaling $17 billion, to beneficiaries eligible under the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), 5 months ahead of schedule. When the SSFA became law on January 5, 2025, we identified about 2.8 million current Social Security beneficiaries whose benefits were reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). We successfully completed actions on these records by July 7, 2025, exceeding our original estimate of it taking a year or more. Below is additional information on what this milestone may mean for you, depending on your status when SSFA became law.
Receiving benefits when SSFA became law?
If you received benefits between January 2024 and June 2025, had a pension from work not covered by Social Security, and your benefits during this period were reduced by WEP or GPO, you should have received any back payments owed to you. Your ongoing monthly benefits should also have been adjusted by July 2025. Please note that since we pay benefits the month after they are due, you may see the change in your benefit with the payment received in August 2025. If you have questions about your case, please call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. local time.
Filed a new claim after SSFA became law?
Since SSFA became law, we have also received over 278,000 new claims from people with pensions from work not covered by Social Security. We have processed 92% of these new claims so far. If you filed a new claim after the law took effect, we may still be working to process your application.
Need to file a claim?
If you have not yet filed a claim or are unsure if you have, you may need to apply. The date you apply can affect when your benefits start. The easiest way to apply for retirement or spouse’s benefits is online at www.ssa.gov/apply. If you are applying for spouse’s benefits, please select “Family Benefits.” This will guide you through the application for Retirement and Medicare benefits to make sure you get all the benefits you qualify for. Please note that survivor benefit applications are not available online.
If you have not applied before because of WEP or GPO, you can also apply by phone. Call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. local time.
For the most up-to-date information, please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage at www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.html.
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john a.
I am still waiting concerning ss fairness act you should have my documents in payroll
Frodo
What a wasteful benefit!
Yvonne H.
I Don’t know whether I Qualify for it or not but think I Do and I really don’t understand what to do
Paula B.
File a claim and let the computer work it out
Gabrielle G.
Medicare premiums are being taken out of my Civil Service pension AND my spouse’s SSA benefits. When will I receive a refund back to June 2024?
Jane R.
Passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, and the speedy processing of my new benefit has been a blessing, and I thank the SSA for its hard work on enacting this legislation!
Judy
I too am please with how SSA handled it all.
Cora M.
This is a very confusing Social Security post. I cannot figure out what it is about. I am with the previous commenter! Other post about Witholding Rate is equally confusing.What witholding is the post talking about?
Beth S.
YOU ARE CORRUPT!
George R.
When will the refund on the taxes taken out? Start taking affect
Brenda E.
I do not understand what any of this means or whether I was/am affected by it. What am I to do?
Susan S.
I don’t either, but since my benefits weren’t reduced last year, I think that I don’t need to take any action.
Reference:
“…current Social Security beneficiaries whose benefits were reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO)…”
Virginia L.
Brenda, were you affected by the WEP or GPO? If you worked in public service paying into a pension and did not pay into Social Security, but also worked in the private sector paying into Social Security for all forty quarters, then you might be affected.
Most people are very aware of how WEP or GPO affects their benefits if they or their spouse has worked in public service and also in the private sector.
Marjorie M.
I agree with Brenda S. What is this all about? Is the money that we received so far just a catch up? Do I have to reapply for SOCIAL SECURITY?
Msharp
Join the club!
Stephen S.
You can call the nearest Social Security office in your area. Ask them to explain it to you. They might ask you a few simple questions about your work history. How long you worked and where you worked are factors. I hope you find this simple answer useful. Find out more at SSA.gov
Charles B.
I don’t understand how and I can receive any payments
TJ P.
It means that if you were eligible for Social Security benefits and had worked in a capacity where your employer did not contribute (or you through your W2 or 1099 earnings) to Social Security, your Social Security benefits would have been reduced, if not eliminated. The recent passing of this law, now allows those who fell into this category, to be able/eligible to claim full Social Security benefits on their own work records or as a spouse.
Catalina O.
I don’t understand if I am entitled to benefits.
Judy
Unless you had a govt job before 1984,it doesn’t pertain to you.
Guy W.
My Great Uncle Kenneth Wright qualifies for this Benefit