Good news for Social Security beneficiaries, this is the last major measure approved by Biden
One of the final bills signed into law by President Joe Biden was the Social Security Fairness Act, which removes restrictions on benefits for public sector workers who, in addition to receiving Social Security benefits, earned a pension. In the 1980s, Congress passed laws that reduced the Social Security checks of these workers—a move unions representing teachers, firefighters, police, and other government employees argued unfairly punished retirees who paid into the Social Security system. The new program is expected to benefit 2.4 million people who had been excluded from receiving benefits or saw their checks reduced in size.
When signing the bill into law, President Biden noted that his support for the legislation stemmed from lessons learned from his father. “Americans who have worked hard all their lives to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity,” said the president. The President also noted that the bill builds on the legacy of Social Security, signed into law by Franklin Delano Roosevelt close to nine decades ago.
The new law will increase benefits for these retirees, some of whom have experienced reduced payments for decades. It also allows for back pay on benefits missed in 2024. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has not yet announced details on when retirees will receive these additional funds.
Read more from AS USA:
Do you need to apply for benefits under the Social Security Fairness Act?
Earlier this month, the SSA announced that it is evaluating the legislation and developing a process to update payment amounts. Current Social Security recipients will not need to provide any additional information to the SSA. Those who are not yet receiving benefits should file for them through the SSA website or by scheduling an appointment with their local SSA office.
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