Social Security Announces Expedited Retroactive Payments and Higher Monthly Benefits for Millions – Actions Support the Social Security Fairness Act
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: February 25, 2025
Today, the Social Security Administration announced it is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
These 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 Social Security Fairness Act ends WEP and GPO.
“Social Security’s aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “The agency’s original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation. The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible.”
People who will benefit from the new law include some teachers, firefighters, and police officers 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.
Many beneficiaries will be due a retroactive payment because the WEP and GPO offset no longer apply as of January 2024. Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, which will be deposited into their bank account on record with Social Security.
Many of these people will also receive higher monthly benefits, which will first be reflected in the benefit payment they receive in April. Depending on factors such as the type of Social Security benefit received and the amount of the person’s pension, the change in payment amount will vary from person to person.
Anyone whose monthly benefit is adjusted, or who will get a retroactive payment, will receive a mailed notice from Social Security explaining the benefit change or retroactive payment. Most people will receive their retroactive payment two to three weeks before they receive their notice in the mail, because the President understands how important it is to pay people what they are due right away. Social Security is expediting payments using automation and will continue to handle many complex cases that must be done manually, on an individual case-by-case basis. Those complex cases will take additional time to update the beneficiary record and pay the correct benefits.
Social Security urges beneficiaries to wait until April to ask about the status of their retroactive payment, since these payments will process incrementally into March. Since the new monthly payment amount will begin with the April payment, beneficiaries should wait until after receiving their April payment, before contacting Social Security with questions about their monthly benefit amount.
Visit the agency’s Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn more and stay up to date on its progress. Visitors can subscribe to be alerted when the webpage is updated.
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Linda s.
I’m retired from the state of utah. 30 years. Will my ss change due to the ss fairness act?
T.Y.
Hi, Linda. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. People who receive both a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.
Allen C.
Thank you for your prompt response under difficult circumstances.
Maria R.
Will seniors benefit on anything from this fairness act,or get any increase.
T.Y.
Hi, Maria. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Seniors who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may receive an increase. Please visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in their monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.
Anthony L.
I am just commenting about me losing a month payment because my birthday falls late in the year around August working until I got my first check in October saying I made too much I am if I how was I supposed to know my birthday in August made me 62 years old I had to work then not knowing I wasn’t going to get my first check until September which is October until I got my first check I am confused
Shelby
God Bless, good to know the wolf’s not minding the hen house anymore! Thank you to those who are making this happen**sjean
William F.
UNRELATED matter about a FLAW within the Social Security online system./////////////////
For the 100,000s of U.S. citizens living, working and retired overseas, when trying to update their profile MAILING ADDRESS to reflect a U.S. Postal Embassy/military APO/FPO address, the SS system only options are the 50 states which are NOT part of their address, thereby forcing overseas residents to rely on often unreliable international mail to receive statements, etc.
Carolyn G.
I know that I receive social security disability benefits. Does that mean my $850 a month check will change?
Larry
That’s what I’d like to know as well
T.Y.
Hi, Carolyn. 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 when you can expect retroactive benefits and an increase in your monthly benefit amount. We hope this helps.
ANDRIA C.
PRESIDENT TRUMP, ELON MUSK, RFK JR., ARE ALL DOING A FANTABULOUS JOB OF CLEANING OUT AMERICA 🇺🇸 MAGA ☺ AMEN AMERICA 🇺🇸 PRAY
Justina
What does ‘cleaning out America’ mean?
Paul C.
Taking out the trash
David W.
Our Mother was a Civil Servant though she passed away a couple years back. Will those children whose parent passed away see anything from this major change. She worked 30 plus years.
Deb C.
Did you get an answer to your question? My father served4 years in military and was a fireman for 35 years. Hes deceased. – will his heirs receive this?
John d.
No, they will not. This ruling only goes back a year for living beneficiaries.
S.D.
Hi, Deb. We’re sorry for your loss. To check if your father’s heirs may be due a repayment, fill out a Claim for Amounts Due in the Case of a Deceased Beneficiary (Form SSA-1724) and submit the completed form to your local Social Security office to review. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. Thanks for reading our blog.
Tyrone A.
Thank you for the update!