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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Anne C.
What about Supplemental Security Are we left out again?
Karen B.
Was suppose to get this. E Xtra om 26th of ma rch, nothing received, why??
James K.
Your article was very clear, however, I noticed one glaring misstatement. You stated the current President is all for people who are owed should be paid as soon as possible. Since I was involved with two construction companies back in the day in NYC, it was par for the course for the Trump partners on many jobs to delay paying, or not pay, or just litigate their debts owed on many jobs. I suppose it is easier to pay up when it is with money that was never yours in the first place.
Curtis L.
I need a phone number to find further clarification on the “Fairness Act”.
Rocky
Will railroad retirees who worked before they got on railroad be compensated too
C.B.
Hi, Rocky. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Please visit the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board website to learn how the Social Security Fairness Act effects railroad retirement annuities. We hope this helps.
C.B.
Hi, Curtis. Thanks for reading our blog. For information about the Fairness Act, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Dolores
When will I get my retroactive payment from January 2024. I have received social sec monthly check
Emmitt B.
I have heard NOTHING? I know I was effected 359.30/ Month since beginning SSI June of 2021 however no direct information from SSI sad and confusing>>>
Tom S.
Applied for social security spousal benefit on 2/2025. Did not apply when entitled in 2022 because GPO eliminated any benefit. Am I entitled to retroactive benefits from 1/2024 or just previous 6 months?
Mary B.
I just called SS about the same problem – I received 6 months of back pay but no retroactive -even though I had visited the SS office at age 63 and 67 -both times showing marriage certificate and pay stubs from teaching – I was told both times no benefit due to GPO . I was told I did not officially apply so no retroactive back to December 2024 . How unfair -I did my due .
Douglas J.
What is considered a hard case that must be done individually?
Dot H.
I almost cried when my husband received his check and planned increased Social Security check. Too bad it can’t go back further. As things have been, a person could retire from most places and receive all of your Soc Sec income. We have lived without that for 30 years. That being said the timing is great, we are at a place now when we start running low on money halfway thru a month. Our children are wonderful to us but it hurts to be in the position to need that after working in the medical field our whole lives. THANK YOU
Patricia K.
Neither my husband or I have ever collected SS although we have been retired 20+ years. We understood this was because we received a public employees retirement. My husband has 40+ SS credits and I have 28. We have been married 55 years. Are either/both of us going to benefit from the Windfall change?
Sharon C.
My deceased Husband was Chief of a volunteer Fire Department for 20 plus years and also instructor for Farm Safety Classes for State of Kentucky. Is there any fairness Program for the widow?
FRANK C.
i retired in 1996 from the Federal job i was under CSRS until it was transferred to FERS IN1984 yet i have not received a letter or retro as of now
FRANK C.
with 4 days left in March i still have not received any retro or letter.