On the 9th of June 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) made updates to the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA). This change highlights certain areas such as the timing of increased monthly benefits as well as the concerns relating to duplication of Medicare premium debit, the eligibility for retroactive payments and measures that can be taken by beneficiaries to safeguard themselves from scams.
When to Expect Higher Social Security Payments
On January 5th 2025, the SSFA was signed into law and two provisions were mitigated. These provisions were the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Thereafter, all those Social Security beneficiaries who were previously affected by these provisions, started receiving benefits
- Automatic adjustments: In February and March of 2025, the majority of beneficiary accounts that were affected by WEP or GPO and received lower payments in 2024, these accounts were automatically recalculated.
- Payment increases: Adjusted monthly payments began going out in March and April of 2025.
- Back payments: In addition to this, in March and April of 2025, eligible beneficiaries received a lump-sum retroactive payment that covered benefit reductions which dated back to January 2024.
- Complex cases: Approximately 9% of beneficiary accounts needed to be reviewed because of the complexity of the case. The SSA is hopeful that it would finish the adjustments for all accounts and this will affect approximately 2.5 million beneficiaries overall.
Duplicate Medicare Premium Deduction Problems
There are numerous retirees who are under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who had experienced an issue when their Medicare premiums were being deducted twice each month.
Why this is happening:
- Many of the CSRS retirees who were enrolled in Medicare Part B and/or Part D (before the SSFA) had their premiums withheld from their CSRS annuity because they weren’t receiving Social Security.
- Some of these retirees were eligible for full spousal or survivor Social Security benefits after the SSFA was implemented and this led to additional Medicare premium deductions from their Social Security checks.
What affected retirees should do:
- The SSA understands this double debit and is actively working on refunds to all those individuals who were affected.
- Beneficiaries do not need to contact SSA.
- Anyone with any concerns should contact Medicare directly at 1-800-633-4227.
Guidelines for Paying Benefits
The SSFA provides retroactive lump-sum payments to beneficiaries who were previously affected by the WEP and GPO between January 2024 and March 2025.
Key points to remember:
- Retroactive payments only apply if the beneficiary was already receiving benefits that were reduced as a result of the WEP or GPO, during the specific retroactive period.
- The rules of the SSA decrease the ability to backdate any new application, to six months before filing.
How to Avoid SSFA-Related Scams
It is rather unfortunate that benefit changes start attracting scammers and thieves, with that being said, it is important for beneficiaries to be aware.
Red flags to watch for:
- Any calls, emails, or text messages where the person is asking for payment to process Social Security benefits
- Requests for personal information, bank details, or social security numbers
- Threats of delayed or cancelled payments due to unpaid fees
Remember:
- The SSA will never demand payment to increase or access your benefits.
- If you receive a suspicious call or message, hang up or delete it immediately.
- Report all scams to the SSA Office of the Inspector General via the website: https://www.ssa.gov/scams.
Final Thoughts
As it attempts to correct years of benefit reductions brought on by the WEP and GPO, the SSFA highlights a significant change in Social Security. Beneficiaries should stay informed with verified information and be alert for fraudulent activities even though all changes are on par.