Soon, millions of Americans will receive higher Social Security payments after the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. This act delivered long-overdue changes to retirees who previously saw their benefits reduced due to outdated government provisions.
What the New Law Changes
The Social Security Fairness Act eliminates two controversial rules: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These rules reduced or even eliminated Social Security benefits for millions of Americans who worked in public-sector jobs — including teachers, firefighters, police officers, and federal employees — where they didn’t pay into Social Security.
While these workers often contributed to other pension systems, WEP and GPO penalized them by slashing their Social Security payments, even if they had also worked private-sector jobs and paid into Social Security through payroll taxes.
With the repeal of these provisions, starting now, higher Social Security payments are being rolled out to the 3.2 million retirees affected. That includes retirees themselves as well as their spouses or surviving spouses, who were also subject to the GPO’s benefit reduction.
Who Qualifies for the Boost?
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the people most likely to qualify for increased payments under the new law are:
-
Teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers in states where public employees are not covered by Social Security.
-
Federal workers who were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), which predates the current FERS system.
-
Retirees receiving foreign government pensions who also qualify for U.S. Social Security.
These individuals previously saw their benefits unfairly cut — but starting now, Social Security payments for them will be recalculated and increased.
As of early March, 71% of the adjustments had already been processed by the SSA, affecting more than 2.1 million people. The agency is continuing to work on the remaining cases, especially the more complex ones that must be handled manually.
How Much Will You Get?
On average, monthly Social Security checks are going up by about $360 for eligible beneficiaries. However, that’s just the average — some recipients will see much larger increases. According to the Congressional Budget Office, some retirees could receive as much as $1,000 more per month, depending on their previous work history and how much they were losing due to WEP or GPO.
That’s not all. The Social Security Fairness Act also provides retroactive payments back to January 2023. As of March 4, the SSA had paid out over $7.5 billion in backpay to nearly 1.3 million people — with the average retroactive check totaling $6,710.
When Will You See the Higher Payments?
Social Security payments for April 2025 will reflect the updated benefit amounts for qualifying recipients. Here’s the payment schedule for April:
-
April 3: For retirees who started receiving benefits before May 1997 and for those also receiving SSI.
-
April 9: For retirees born between the 1st and 10th of the month.
-
April 16: For retirees born between the 11th and 20th.
-
April 23: For retirees born between the 21st and 31st.
If you qualify and haven’t seen your higher payment by the end of April, the SSA recommends calling 1-800-772-1213 or checking your account at ssa.gov/myaccount.
What You Need to Do
Most people who qualify for the boost will get it automatically, as long as their mailing address and direct deposit details with the SSA are up to date. That includes your mailing address and direct deposit details. If you haven’t yet claimed Social Security, your future benefit checks will reflect the new calculation once you apply.
Conclusion
Starting now, Social Security payments are increasing for millions of public-sector retirees. The new law; the Social Security Fairness Act ends decades of reduced benefits for those who paid into alternative retirement systems. The average increase of $360 a month could make a major difference in retirement security.
If you or a loved one worked in a job not covered by Social Security taxes and faced reduced benefits, it’s time to check your eligibility. This is more than just a payment adjustment — it’s a long-overdue fix to an unfair system.