Social Security benefits are paid to millions upon millions of individuals on a monthly basis, however, a cohort of public sector employees previously had their benefits reduced under either the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or the Government Pension Offset (GPO) due to the fact that their employers had provided them with other pensions. At the beginning of the year on January 5th, however, the Social Security Fairness Act had officially been signed into law and as a result, both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) were repealed. Subsequently, the cohort who had previously had their benefits reduced would now have their full benefits restored to them.
When the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law, the former Biden Administration estimated that it would take upwards of a year for all SSFA cases to be processed. The Social Security Administration (SSA), on the other hand, estimated that all SSFA cases should be processed by early November. The good news for impacted beneficiaries is that according to a July 7th press release from the agency, all SSFA cases have now been successfully processed. Here is what you need to know.
What to know about the Social Security Fairness Act
Public sector workers, including teachers, firefighters, police officers, and certain federal employees and their spouses, previously had their benefits reduced under the provisions of either the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The SSFA effectively eliminated these provisions, thereby restoring full benefits to the impacted individuals.
In addition to having their full benefits restored to them, the some 3.1 million will also qualify for a once off retroactive payment dating back to January 2024. According to the SSA, “if you received benefits between January 2024 and June 2025, had a pension from work not covered by Social Security, and your benefits during this period were reduced by WEP or GPO, you should have received any back payments owed to you.” The agency further notes that the monthly benefit amount will be adjusted by July 25th, however since benefits are paid a month after they are due, the beneficiary may only notice the change in the August 2025 benefit payment.
Following the SSFA coming into effect, the agency has also shared that it has since receive an additional 278,000 claims from individuals who are being provided with pensions from their employees that are not covered by Social Security. Regarding this issue, the SSA has stated that it has “processed 92% of these new claims so far. If you filed a new claim after the law took effect, we may still be working to process your application.”
More milestones at the SSA
In the July 7th press release from the SSA, Commissioner Frank Bisignano says, “My top priority is to transform SSA into a model of excellence—an organization that operates at peak efficiency and delivers outstanding service to every American. The American people have waited long enough for better service, and they deserve the absolute best from their government. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated employees who are already making this turnaround a reality.”
As such, aside from the SSFA cases being processed five months ahead of schedule, the SSA has also been working towards improving its technology and customer service. Some of the agency’s recent achievements, as per the press release, include:
- Reducing the average speed of answer (ASA) on the 800 Number to 13 minutes, a 35 percent reduction compared to this time last year and over a 50 percent reduction compared to last year’s annual average
- Optimizing technology on the 800 Number so that 90 percent of calls handled are now served via automated self-service options or convenient callbacks, minimizing hold times
- Implementing a new service model in field offices that has reduced wait times about 10 percent for all customers year-over-year
- Decreasing the initial disability claims backlog by 25 percent, from a record high of 1.2 million cases pending last summer to 950,000 cases pending today
- Achieving a historic low of approximately 276,000 disability hearings pending, with customers experiencing wait times 60 days shorter than last summer
- Upgrading the my Social Security online portal to provide uninterrupted, 24/7 access to customers starting mid-July