Social Security Announces Expedited Retroactive Payments and Higher Monthly Benefits for Millions – Actions Support the Social Security Fairness Act
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: April 18, 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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Louise E.
I haven’t received the retroactive payment from SSA, why?
Gary
I worked for the government for 42 years. Never paid for Social Security. Received a lump sum back payment for $7,000. What a country!!!
Jami
We need to contact two (2) Senators and one House member.
This can be done online if you are their constituent. All 535 members can be mailed postcards which are thirty-five cents.
It doesn’t take as long as they say to determine the backpay.
SSA was reducing it—use a multiplier of 12 months, by the number of years. They say, where will the money come from?
Well…where’d you put it? Devise a form. Let me say what I think it is. Give me interim money with the idea that when you get to me, it might have to be adjusted, just pay good faith.
Only when they hear from us, will they act. Contact Congress.
It took no time at all to bail out Wall Street. They are dragging this out to make it a political football. They had this money for 40 years, pay it back. Give it a settlement amount, people would wait for the rest, pay in good faith. It’s called Fairness Act.
Rodney h.
Sounds like aponzi scam who losses ? People like me paid all taxes since mid 60 s now I’m starving can’t afford to fix my car to get to the va food pantry marine corps guess federal employees who got a pension and some select ideviduals the rest of us just starve or walk to our appointment all be it 35 miles away yea who?
Katherine C.
This reads like Trump was involved in writing the actual checks. It was signed into law before Trump was in office.
Isn’t SS nonpartisan?
M. G.
Today, 6/4/2025 I checked my bank account and nearly fainted when I saw that me and my wife received nearly ten thousand dollars in SS payments! Went to Google and found out why because at first, we thought it was a mistake.
Budrow D.
You get letters stating it’s gonna be lowered or raised or how much your monthly amount is gonna be. You can even read a bunch of information online telling you what you can and can’t spend the money on because it has different rules for backpay than your monthly payments for your disabled child But no letters no confirmation about backpay…..just unanswered questions and a lot of waiting
Gloria A.
I worked for the Federal Government for 32 years and qualify through the Windfall Elimination Provision Act. Many of my friends received their check in March. Now it’s June and I’ve heard nothing. I’d like to get it before I die!
Jan H.
I just received mine 6/4/25
Judith A.
I have not received the letter or retroactive payment. I did receive the letter re increase and the increase so I know I qualify for the retroactive payment. Please at least confirm that I get this retroactive payment so I can quit expecting it every single day. Thank you very much.
Budrow D.
I agree….. I check my dedicated bank acct. I have set up gif my son. literally every day waiting for our backpay that we’ve been waiting for for six months.
Anita M.
Me or my husband haven’t received a check for 5.000. Why
Vogueofglitter@gmail.com
Gracie jones Rogers
Lori C.
I worked in the private sector for at least 16 years. I haven’t received any compensation due to the ss fairness act. How should i handle this?
Marshall c.
Haven’t received my retroactive deposit or letter? Should have been sent?