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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John C.
When is the rest of the windfall for the GPO going to be paid.
C.B.
Hi, John. Thanks for using our blog. Most people who are eligible received their one-time retroactive payment already. If you are entitled to the benefit but have not received it, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213. For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Linda M.
My husband worked at a school and received teacher’s retirement and social security. He passed in 2018 and I lost his social security due to the windfall tax. Am I eligible for the social security fairness act?
C.B.
We’re sorry for your loss, Linda. To check if your husband’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.
Hugh M.
The only way we are going to fix it is outlined in my book entitled: The Gospel of Hugh / The Plan To Save Our Earth By We The People. My guess is that all of US retired slaves are not going to recieve shit, mot even a thank you for building this nation. They just want US all dead so they do not have to pay US anymore.
Libertad C.
If I working for the county of Lis Angeles for about 3 to 4 years, and did not have social security taken out do I qualify for any retroactive payments.
C.B.
Hi, Libertad. 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.
Barbie R.
I worked as a teacher for 24 years in AK when Social Security was not taken out as I have a pension. My husband who worked the same place I did has already received his Fairness Act increase. Where is mine?
Barb
I am a retired teacher of 35 yrs. in Ohio. My neighbors keep telling me to apply for this. They told me all of their retired teacher friends are getting big checks. Neighbor’s wife who worked for the state & gets a PERS pension & didn’t get social security, only a pension & didn’t have enough SS credits, is getting $12K plus something else. I quit listening because I’m sure I won’t qualify even though I have 34 SS credits & worked for 35 years in education. I am single. Not sure how all of these people are getting the benefit when my neighbor tells me she only had 28 credits & got it. She said she didn’t get a letter in the mail. A teacher friend told her about it & she went down to the SS office & applied. So, I have no idea.
patrick s.
the bad thing is my benefits never changed it went from ssi…… to ssi and ssa but the same benefits nothing changed
patrick s.
what about someone like me that was ssi and they from their own mouth said they was forcing me to take a early retirement what about me ?
Mary H.
I get less money now than I did before. I now get less than $1000.00 a month. My medicine is now higher than before. One of my meds that was$9.60 is now $165.00.
This is not right. Everyone on S.S. should get a decent
wage increase, not a select few.
Bernice B.
How do you know if you are eligible to receive a payment. Retroactive payment. Am I eligible
C.B.
Hi, Bernice. 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.
Janet M.
Does this include railroad workers
S.D.
Hi, Janet. 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.
Sarah C.
Am I eligible to receive my exspouses that retired from disd several years ago, passed a year ago,. Will I still get his retro check?
C.B.
Hi, Sarah. If an ex-spouse wants to determine if they are eligible for this benefit, they can 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.
Shirley Y.
I am a retired teacher with over 40 quarters of money paid into SS. My teacher friends have all received their letter stating the increase in SS and their lump sum payment. I have received nothing. My last name begins with Y and I am wondering if they are working through the alphabet to issue these payments.
C.B.
Hi, Shirley. Thanks for using our blog. Most people who are eligible received their one-time retroactive payment already. If you are entitled to the benefit but have not received it, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213. For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount. For more information, visit our Social Security Fairness Act webpage. We hope this helps.
Eileen L.
I don’t even get that much! Not even close! I worked since I was 16! Yes I couldn’t get high end paying jobs, not because I didn’t try! My last 10 years were the highest paying jobs I ever was fortunate to have but ended up at retiring age! We are close to having to eat cat food because of the price of groceries! Before retirement I could afford fruits and veggies. Now I can’t! Cheapest meats are what we eat and very few fruits and veggies. We try to have a garden every year to put veggies up but my old bones and back injury keeps us from doing much! People who have never worked on disability make more money than we do! Immigrants are taken better care of than we are! We make a couple hundred too much of getting food stamps but still don’t make enough to cover bills like heating and food! And don’t get me started on paying taxes! Land, school and idiotic taxes back to the government when we don’t make enough now! When are the elderly going to get a chance to start having the life we deserve!
Rocky H.
You people had chances to vote in people that understand the workplace and working class. But no you vote for people who never completed an employment application or punched a time clock. Now you want to complain about eating cat food. I hear you but when will you people learn that politicians don’t care about the working class (the little people). Thanks
Bonnie P.
Will all social security people get a cola raise in April?
C.B.
Hi, Bonnie. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. We will not know if there will be a COLA, or the amount of the COLA, until late October when the Department of Labor releases information on inflation for the past year. We hope this helps.
R B.
I couldnt agree more. Seniors worked every day but makinf little to live on in retirement.
How dare we seniors cannot afford fruirs and vegrables a movie out once a month. Visit family and have a good life we deserve. Ss Is not keeping up with inflation or Cola.
How dare SS do this to Seniors.