The Social Security Fairness Act has gone into effect, and millions of retirees in the U.S. are set to receive larger monthly checks. The act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in January 2025 during his final days in office, and this eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). As a result, public servants like firefighters, police officers, and teachers who were long penalized by these two provisions will benefit. However, 900,000 retirees are still waiting to receive their increases.
Who Benefits From the Social Security Fairness Act?
The Social Security Fairness Act was designed to restore full Social Security benefits to those who incurred reduced benefits for receiving a pension from a non-Social Security-covered government job. As of January 2024, the reductions no longer applied, and now, many retirees are entitled to approximately $1,100 more per month.
Here are the beneficiaries who could benefit from the Social Security Fairness Act:
- Retired workers whose benefits were cut due to WEP
- Disabled workers previously affected by WEP
- Spouses whose checks were reduced or eliminated by the GPO
- Surviving spouses whose Social Security was denied due to the GPO
- Individuals who delayed retirement because they would’ve lost benefits under WEP or GPO
How Many Have Already Benefited?
So far, the Social Security Administration has reported that approximately 2.3 million of the 3.2 million retirees who are eligible have already seen their benefits adjusted. Due to the automation of the process, the SSA was able to adjust benefits for retirees who had simpler cases.
If you have not received increments in your April or May 2025 checks, you could be among the 900,000 individuals whose cases are still pending due to their complexity. These pending cases require manual review and processing, which might take longer.
According to the SSA, all eligible beneficiaries will receive their increases and retroactive payments by early November 2025.
What to Know if You Are Among the 900,000 Yet to Receive Increments
If you are among this group, here is what you should know;
- Your cases might be among those that require manual processing, especially those with multiple earnings records or with unclear pension information.
- The SSA will send a notice when your monthly benefit has been updated. This letter will also indicate your new payment amount.
- Retroactive payments dating back to January 2024 will be issued. If you are eligible during that period, you will receive a lump sum payment to cover all the lost benefits.
- Retroactive payments were paid starting February 25, 2025, and the process is still ongoing.
What You Should Do Now
- Check Your SSA Account: Log in to your my Social Security account to confirm that your mailing address and direct deposit information are up to date.
- Watch Your Monthly Checks: In some cases, retirees have received increased benefits before receiving formal notification from the SSA.
- Contact SSA if Needed: If you haven’t seen any change by November 2025, it’s time to contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or schedule an appointment at your local office.
What If You Haven’t Applied Yet?
This is your chance to apply for Social Security benefits if you haven’t already, due to the WEP or GPO penalties. Even if you apply today, you might be eligible for back pay because the law goes into effect in January 2024. Applying is possible at ssa.gov/apply. You have to give the SSA a call immediately to get survivor benefits.
Don’t wait to apply because it will affect when your benefits start and how much you get.
Conclusion
While most retirees have already received larger checks, 900,000 are still waiting for their benefits, which have increased for millions of people according to the Social Security Fairness Act. If you are one of them, payments, including retroactive ones, are on the way as the SSA handles your case.
This is also a chance to take action and get the full benefits you are entitled to if you never applied due to the outdated WEP or GPO provisions.
Your higher Social Security benefits might be on the horizon, so be patient, be informed, and make sure your SSA records are current.