Social Security Fairness Act: What should you do right now if you qualify for the benefit increase?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is making a major change to benefit payments for millions of people.
As a result of the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act, which ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), many beneficiaries will see a significant increase in their payments, in addition to receiving a one-time retroactive payment.
From Olympic glory to FBI’s most wanted Ryan Wedding’s shocking downfall
What are WEP and GPO?
The WEP and GPO have affected workers such as teachers, firefighters, police officers and federal employees who receive a pension based on non-Social Security covered work, resulting in lower payments than they were actually entitled to.
The removal of these provisions will benefit more than 3.2 million people, returning to them a significant portion of the payments they had lost.
Retroactive payment and increase in monthly payments
One of the most relevant aspects of this change is the issuance of retroactive payments that will begin to be made at the end of March 2025.
This retroactive payment will be deposited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries and will cover the increase that will be applied to their benefits from January 2024, when the WEP and GPO ceased to apply.
Back pay will be just the beginning!
In addition to this one-time payment, beneficiaries will also see an increase in their monthly payments starting in April 2025. Depending on their situation and the type of benefit they receive, the increase can vary significantly.
Some people may see an increase of just a few dollars, while others could receive more than $1,000 additional dollars per month.
Automation and fast payments
Unlike stimulus payments, which could sometimes take a while to process, Social Security is using advanced automation to speed up the delivery of these payments.
However, more complex cases that cannot be processed automatically will take longer. For example, if a beneficiary has complicated records that need manual updating, this process could take longer.
The Social Security Administration urges beneficiaries to wait until April to ask questions about the status of their back payment. The retroactive payment will be processed in stages until March, so most beneficiaries will receive their payment before official notifications arrive in the mail.
When to expect payment?
The one-time retroactive payment will be deposited at the end of March, and the increase in monthly benefits will begin with the April payment.
Beneficiaries should remember that they will receive a notification in the mail from Social Security explaining any changes in the amount of their benefit, and this notification will arrive after the retroactive payment.
How to stay informed
If you are a beneficiary of these changes, it is important that you keep abreast of the progress of the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act. You can visit the agency’s website for more details and subscribe to receive alerts about any updates related to your case.
This expedited process and the implementation of the new law are part of President Trump’s effort to ensure that people get what they deserve quickly and fairly.