Millions of Americans are set to get relief from decades of reduced benefits. With the Social Security Fairness Act now signed into law, retirees whose benefits were shortchanged by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) are in for larger payments. Therefore, besides the annual COLA increase for 2025, eligible retirees will get additional payments. So, who qualifies for the larger payments, and how much are the increments?
What is the Social Security Fairness Act?
The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in January 2025, and it eliminated WEP and GPO provisions that for years have reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for people receiving public-sector pensions. Those affected include police officers, firefighters, teachers, and certain federal employees whose jobs didn’t contribute to Social Security.
Due to the new law, these retirees are now eligible to receive their full Social Security benefits, including a back pay retroactive from January 2024.
Who Qualifies for the Larger Payments?
Those who benefit from the Social Security Fairness Act are;
- Public-sector retirees who received a government pension from jobs not covered by Social Security.
- Firefighters, teachers, and police officers working in states where public workers didn’t pay into Social Security
- Spouses or the survivor spouses whose benefits were affected by the GPO provision.
- Workers with foreign pensions affected by GPO and WEP rules.
If you fall under these groups, you are eligible for larger payments following the repeal of WEP and GPO provisions.
How Much Could You Get?
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), individuals could get a varied amount depending on factors such as;
- The size of their non-covered government pension.
- Prior Social Security benefit amount
- Eligibility for spousal or survivor benefits.
Monthly benefits could increase by an average of $360 per month, while some retirees could receive as much as $1,000 or more. Already, a lump-sum retroactive payment averaging $6,710 has been sent to many beneficiaries.
So far, the SSA has disbursed more than $7.5 billion in back benefits to over 1.1 million retirees. By March 28, the number had increased to 2.3 million, which is 75% of all eligible individuals.
Dates for Disbursement of the New Payments
The new increased payments began in April 2025, and they follow the SSA payment schedule, which is based on birth dates.
- Born 1st–10th: Paid on April 9.
- Born 11th–20th: Paid on April 16.
- Born 21st–31st: Paid on April 23.
Those who receive both SSI and Social Security, or started receiving Social Security before May 1997, receive their payments on the third of the month, while the SSI check arrives on the first.
About Retroactive Checks
Lump-sum payments were rolled out in late February and continued through March. According to the SSA officials, automated cases were processed first, while more complex cases would take a while since they are under review.
Who Doesn’t Qualify for Increased Payments?
About 72% of state and local government employees who already work in jobs covered by Social Security do not qualify for additional benefits because they are not affected by either WEP or GPO provisions.
The Impact of the Social Security Fairness Act
Public employees who were affected by WEP and GPO for years were unfairly penalized and had to survive on less retirement benefits just because of their career choices. The repeal of the WEP and GPO provisions levels the playing field and restores equality for all workers.
The Social Security Fairness Act is a huge win for retirees, and it reflects growing bipartisan acknowledgment that Social Security rules should level the playing field and ensure that all workers are treated fairly regardless of where they work.
The annual COLA increase plus the the increased benefits from the repeal of the two provisions will go a long way in bettering the lives of those eligible.
The SSA aims to disburse all adjustments by early November 2025. Therefore, if you are eligible but haven’t received your lump sum yet, SSA recommends waiting until mid-April before contacting them. You can reach the agency at 1-800-772-1213.