Millions of Americans will get a Social Security boost thanks to new law — find out if (and when) you'll get paid

The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law Jan. 5 — and now we know when eligible beneficiaries will receive boosted checks.

Signed into law by former President Joe Biden, the legislation got rid of two provisions that reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits of over 3.2 million people. Those affected were mostly government workers and civil servants.

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Now, many of these Americans are entitled to bigger checks and even retroactive payments. Exactly how much bigger those checks will be varies by beneficiary, with the Social Security Administration (SSA) stating “some people’s benefits will increase very little while others may be eligible for over $1,000 more each month.”

Here’s who is getting the money and when they should expect it.

Who is getting more Social Security money?

The two dumped provisions were the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The WEP affected benefits for workers who got pension or disability benefits from an employer that doesn’t collect Social Security taxes. Similarly, the GPO affected spousal benefits if you got retirement or disability income from government-based work that doesn’t require the payment of Social Security taxes.

When the WEP and GPO were eliminated, people who had lost out on Social Security benefits because of those laws had them restored going forward, and some will even get retroactive back pay for benefits missed last year.

Many police officers, firefighters and public employees had jobs where they earned a pension but didn’t pay into Social Security. These workers will be affected by the change — but not everyone in these professions will.

As the Social Security Administration explains, around 72% of state and local government workers paid Social Security tax on all their wages and they won’t see any extra benefits because the WEP and GPO never affected them in the first place.

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Any retroactive payments also cover benefits that were unpaid from January 2024, as that’s when the WEP and GPO were deemed eliminated. Payments for retroactive benefits went out starting Feb. 25. By March 4, the Social Security Administration had already paid 1,127,723 people retroactive benefits worth more than $7.5 billion, with the average person receiving $6,710. The remainder of the retroactive payments are expected to be sent out by the end of March

Meanwhile, most beneficiaries who are due a higher monthly benefit will begin to receive boosted checks by April. The SSA is also mailing notices to anyone whose monthly benefit is adjusted or received retroactive payments explaining the situation.

What does this mean for you if you’re getting an extra payment?

Most people who are affected by the elimination of the WEP and GPO will not need to take any action. Many should have received payments or notices already or can expect them in the coming weeks.

But just in case, you should make sure your mailing address and direct deposit information are up to date on your “my Social Security” account. If you never applied for retirement, spousal or survivor benefits because you were disqualified by the WEP or GPO, or if you are not sure whether you applied, you should contact the SSA by phone (1-800-772-1213) or apply online.

If you don’t receive a retroactive payment you were expecting, the SSA urges you wait until April to contact them as payments are being processed through March. Similarly for those who don’t see an expected increase in monthly benefits, the SSA suggests beneficiaries wait until after receiving their April payment to make inquiries.

You may also need to take action if you were paying your Medicare premiums using Automated Clearinghouse, as Medicare premiums will be automatically deducted from your Social Security check. You can visit Medicare Easy Pay to complete the appropriate form to stop automatic payments but should wait until you receive a notice from the SSA to do so. This also applies if you use Online Bill Payment through your bank.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.