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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Mark R.
A news story today said that SOS reciprocates have to go into the local SOS office to verify who they are, this is supposed to be done by April 1, 2025, or they could access to their benefits.
Russell S.
A news story today said that SS reciprocates and going to have to into the local SS office to verify who they are, this is supposed to be done by April 1 2025. Is this true and do we need to set up an appointment?
Tammy B.
Is this true
Jean Z.
as a public school teacher retired after 35 years, I would like to know if I am eligible
S.S.
Hi, Jean. 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 your work as a teacher, 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.
Deretha D.
I didn’t receive my payment yet I fall in the 21st – 31st category, why!! I fall under the WEP, public school and city worker.
C.B.
Hi, Deretha. 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.
C.B.
Hi, Connie. Thanks for using our blog. There is no need to contact Social Security to prove identity if not applying for cash benefits and if not changing direct deposit information. People will continue to receive their benefits and on schedule to the bank account information in Social Security’s records without needing to prove identity. We hope this clears up any confusion.
Sharon M.
Are widow benefits included in the raise at ss?
John S.
I am a widower who recently received the one-time retroactive payment because my spouse had worked in one of the fields mentioned in the article and was among the subgroup of these people who qualified.
Helayne V.
Are women widows benefits included in the retroactive pay
Steve D.
How can I pay my bills if my Social Security Benefit moves from the third of April (for the last 25 years) to the twenty fourth of April. I will lose three weeks of income.
Phoebe D.
My husband and I have been collecting for seven years. Are still going to get our SS deposited in our bank? Many seniors are scared now.
Catherine K.
I’m doing my taxes. Do I need to report this lump sum on my tax form this year, or next year, since it came in 2025. Or not at all!!! Perhaps taxes were deducted before the send out.
C.B.
Hi Catherine, thanks for using our blog. Please contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at http://www.irs.gov or call their toll-free number at 1-800-829-1040 to discuss your options.
Tess
This is ridiculous. We should not have to worry about receiving money that we have worked our whole lives for, just to survive.
Let’s look into people receiving social security that never worked a day in their life and are not American citizens, if there are any? Also, the state should pay more attention to people collecting welfare, especially women that live with their baby daddies who work, but the mom still takes advantage of the government subsidy, which is taking money out of pockets for seniors and for education.
Peggy C.
If they don’t work l. Why should they get what we paid for. Go back where you came from and get there government to pay for them!!!
Dave P.
I’m an ex-government employee. Social security sent me a payment going back to July 2024, not Jan 2024 because they stated that the retroactive payment only goes back 6 months. Is this accurate?
I cannot find reference to this anywhere.
Valeria
Hi Dave P.
I too am an ex government employee and was told my retroactive payment only goes back six months; not back to January 2025. I can’t find anything regarding the six months retroactive payment but have read info re retroactive payments going back to January 2025. If anyone has any reputable information about this please post. Thanks
C.B.
Thank you for reading our blog, Dave. 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. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Alisha B.
My dad passed away Feb 28th and his retroactive payment went into his bank on Mar 4th. Will SSA be taking this back or since it was his will I be able to keep it. His bank is currently doing the reclamation process, so I was wondering if they were going to take that away? Please any help
C.B.
Hi, Alisha. 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) (PDF), and send the completed form to your local Social Security office to review. Thanks for reading our blog.
Elbert B.
Hello.Does this mean that I will receive a retroactive direct deposit this Wednesday the 26th before my monthly payment on April 3 ? Thank you
Celeste M.
Well, I suffered a brain injury and I have a Worker’s Comp. case not getting any benefits. My employee was liability for the accident you told me to go as Social Security disability, which I did. I got it with a 6 foot due to the Brain injury, New York State fund is correct not getting any benefits from my brain injury, completely corrupt