Yes, the Senate passed the "Social Security Fairness Act" (H.R. 82) on December 20, 2024, with a 76-20 vote, which eliminates the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). President Biden signed the legislation into law on January 5, 2025, restoring full Social Security benefits for affected public servants.
82), voting 76 to 20 for legislation that will repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), provisions that unfairly reduce Social Security benefits for public sector workers.
The Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025. The Act ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
The Social Security Fairness Act is now the law of the land. More than three million retirees are set to see an increase in their monthly Social Security benefits thanks to the new law, which repeals the decades-old Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) penalties.
Many beneficiaries will be due a retroactive payment because the WEP and GPO offset no longer apply as of January 2024. Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, which will be deposited into their bank account on record with Social Security.
Retirees previously impacted by WEP will see an average monthly benefit increase in social security of $360. Spouses and survivors affected by GPO will receive an average increase in social security of $700–$1,190 per month.
The dollar amount increase to checks will vary depending on a person's benefit amount, but the average Social Security Retirement benefit, $2,008.31 in July 2025, will grow by about $56.
The repeal of the WEP is effective for months after December 2023. The bill was signed in January 2025. Individuals subject to the limitations received the limited benefits through December 2024. The example described below is used to discuss how the repeal would affect an individual subject to the limitation in 2024.
The Social Security Fairness Act, passed in December, repealed the WEP and GPO, and is retroactive until Jan. 2024. This means the benefits that affected retirees would have received absent the WEP and GPO, are owed to them through Jan. 2024.
On Sunday, President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act, which eliminated the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) rules, which had for 40 years unfairly harmed public service retirees.
Over the last decade the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase has averaged about 3.1 percent. The COLA was 2.5 percent in 2025. Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8 percent COLA beginning in January 2026.
Letlow was original cosponsor of H.R. 82
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legislation championed by Rep. Julia Letlow to ensure retirement security for teachers, police officers, and other public servants has been signed into law.
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 75 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2026. The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2026.
The Social Security Fairness Act, HR 82, concerning the Windfall Elimination Program and Government Pension Offset, was signed into law on January 5, 2025. The Act eliminates the reduction of Social Security benefits while entitled to public pensions from work not covered by Social Security.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) or the Big Beautiful Bill (P.L. 119-21), is a U.S. federal statute passed by the 119th United States Congress containing tax and spending policies that form the core of President Donald Trump's second-term agenda. The bill was signed into law by Trump on July 4, 2025.
“The Senate passed bipartisan legislation early Saturday that would give full Social Security benefits to a group of public sector retirees who currently receive them at a reduced level, sending the bill to President Biden.
If you are a member who has been subject to the WEP or GPO, you do not need to take action. Social Security will automatically apply the changes and make the lump-sum payments.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) celebrated the passage of his bill to fully repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) following his months-long effort to secure a vote.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that repealing the WEP and GPO will increase Social Security benefits for affected individuals by an average of $360 per month initially, rising to $460 per month by 2033.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that starting the week of February 24, 2025, it will pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
Yes, you can generally collect a pension and Social Security benefits at the same time, and a new law (Social Security Fairness Act) eliminated past reductions for many public pension recipients, meaning your pension usually won't decrease your Social Security benefit now, though it can affect taxes on that income. Private pensions typically don't impact Social Security, but public pensions from jobs not paying into Social Security (like some government/teacher roles) previously faced cuts (WEP/GPO) that ended in 2024, allowing full benefits.
Yes – After 1 October 2023, your pension fund will work out whether the pension you built up in the remedy period would have been higher in the final salary scheme. If so, you'll receive an addition to your existing pension.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.