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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Ashamed
My mom passed away from mental health complications while waiting for her appeal for ssi. The denial came after ssa was informed that she had committed suicide. Her reason in her letter that she left behind was that she couldn’t stand living in a world where she had been treated so unfairly that even the government would deny her the minimal amount of money that ssi pays per month. She had been beaten and violated for years by her family and nobody would help her.
Mr P.
Did you file a complaint with the police department?
Rc
So, if you divide $17b by 3.1m recipients … the per person payout is $5483 and change! Anybody out there receiving that????
Juris D.
I am eligible for Social Security fairness act because my benefits were reduced due my receiving a German pension as well. In January this year I received my last regular payment from US social security; in March, my retroactive payment for 2024. Since then,nothing. The adjustments were allegedly completed 100% in July-what is causing the delay?
Glenda M.
Nothing fair about this Act. If the SSA offsets were unfair now they were unfair when they were implemented. Thus my disabled veteran husband was cheated out of years of additional SSA benefits beginning 2006 when he became eligible.
Rosalie A.
I am an active CSRS employee and widow and had been receiving spousal benefits and now survivor’s benefits. I am not owed any back pay. My Medicare premiums are taken out of my SSAN benefits. When I retire, is there anything I need to do, or will I continue to receive my survivor’s benefits deposit along with my federal retirement check?
Jeanet S.
My husband died in 2006 but l never got his benefits am entitled to he was disabled veteran
Daniel H.
Do ssa come to home
Joella W.
Will social security recipients receive a raise in August or is that just a rumor? Thank you!
Robert
I am now receiving ex-spouse benefits, thanks to the SSFA. However, I only received 6 months of retroactive payments, (customary SS retro rule).
I was told I was a new applicant. I’m a newly APPROVED applicant. I applied in April 2024 and denied (prior SSFA). I should have received Jan-June 2024 retro.
No luck locally.
Paula B.
File an appeal. If necessary, give a reason for filing the appeal late. Send proof of the earlier application if you still have it
Deb L.
I’m in the same category, did you ever find out why they only retrofit back 6 months instead of the whole year. I’ve messaged them several times with no response.
Susan
I applied over 2 months ago and have not heard anything. Does it usually take this long?
Valentine
Question : was the SS benefit reduced because people had a pension or because they did not pay into SS ?