Yes, the "Social Security Fairness Act" (H.R. 82) was signed into law on January 5, 2025, which repeals both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The legislation eliminates reductions to Social Security benefits for public sector retirees, with changes effective for benefits payable after December 2023.
December 2023 is the last month that WEP and GPO will apply. This means that those rules no longer apply to benefits payable for January 2024 and later. Important reminder: Social Security benefits payable for January 2024 would generally have been received in February 2024. UPDATE!
On January 4, 2025, President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law. This bill is a big win for Ohio seniors and marks the first expansion of Social Security benefits in decades, ending two harmful provisions that had unfairly reduced benefits for millions of former public employees.
Congress Repeals WEP/GPO: A Landmark Vote for Eligible Social Security Beneficiaries. In a historic vote in the early morning hours of December 21, 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R.
The Social Security Fairness Act, passed in December, repealed the WEP and GPO, and is retroactive until Jan. 2024.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.
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.
To qualify for Social Security Fairness Act retroactive payments, you must have a work history that includes both covered and non-covered employment. This means that you should have worked in jobs where you contributed to Social Security taxes as well as in positions that did not require such contributions.
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.
Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8 percent COLA beginning in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2025. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the recent WEP-GPO repeal will cost $196 billion over ten years. While that cost might look “modest” at about $20 billion a year, Social Security has been paying benefits for 85 years.
Your Social Security benefit could increase significantly under the Social Security Fairness Act, depending on your work history, with estimates showing average boosts of around $360/month (WEP-affected) to $1,190/month (GPO-affected), plus retroactive lump-sum payments back to January 2024, as the Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) for many public servants. The exact amount varies, from small increases to over $1,000 monthly, impacting those with non-Social Security pensions, and you should receive a notice from the SSA.
What's changed? The Social Security Fairness Act, signed in January 2025, cancels and ends two outdated provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset act (GPO) — that had reduced Social Security benefits for public servants with government pensions.
Update: Social Security Fairness Act
On February 25, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced its plans to begin applying the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) to eligible recipients.
the 30 years of contributions that would have prevented a WEP reduction under the old rules only is for years you paid into US Social Security. Your US contribution years are not added to years you contributed to another pension scheme, foreign or domestic. As an example.
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.
We want you to know that during the federal government shutdown, payments to all people who currently receive Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will continue with no change in payment dates. You will still receive your payments on time.
If you or a family member have worked in public service jobs and receive a pension employment that did not require Social Security payroll tax contributions, you may qualify for higher Social Security checks in 2025 under this new law.