Yes, the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) was signed into law on January 5, 2025, by President Biden, following approval by Congress. The legislation, effective for benefits payable after December 2023, eliminates the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which previously reduced Social Security benefits for many public employees.
On January 4, 2025, President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law.
Will every teacher, firefighter, police officer, or public worker receive a benefit increase because of the Social Security Fairness Act? No, not necessarily. Only those whose Social Security benefits have been reduced due to WEP and GPO will see their benefits change under this new law.
Update: The Social Security Fairness Act
82) was signed into law on January 5, 2025. This legislation repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduced Social Security benefits for people who also receive public pensions from jobs that did not pay into Social Security.
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 The Social Security Fairness Act, signed in January 2025, cancels and ends two outdated provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset act (GPO) — that had reduced Social Security benefits for public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.
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(WEP-affected) to $1,190/month (GPO-affected), plus retroactive lump-sum payments back to January 2024, as the Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) for many public servants.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.
Yes, Social Security recipients received a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, but the bigger news is that they are getting a larger 2.8% COLA for 2026, announced in October 2025, which began with January 2026 payments, increasing average benefits by about $56 per month. The 2025 COLA was a smaller 2.5% increase, while the 2026 adjustment reflects moderating inflation, leading to higher payments starting in the new year.
Social Security benefits are paid one month behind. According to the SSA, most affected beneficiaries will begin receiving their new monthly benefit amount for March 2025 in April 2025. As of July 7, the SSA completed sending payments to beneficiaries eligible under the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA).
Starting in 2026, the full retirement age rises to 67 for everyone born after 1960. The full retirement age (or FRA) is the age at which you can retire and start receiving full Social Security benefits.
Under this reform program, retirement and disability pensioners received a 10% increase, while survivorship pensioners received a 5% increase, ensuring greater financial security for beneficiaries.
According to the SSA, some 3.1 million retirees who were previously impacted by the WEP/GPO laws have received more than $14 billion in retroactive payments – most dating back to January 1, 2024.
This law increases Social Security benefits for certain types of workers, including some: teachers, firefighters, and police officers in many states; federal employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System; and. people whose work had been covered by a foreign social security system.
With a personal my Social Security account, you can check the status of an application or appeal, request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas), print a benefit verification letter, and more – from anywhere and from any of your devices!
The Social Security increase for 2026 is a 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), announced by the Social Security Administration, raising average monthly benefits by about $56 for retirees and affecting nearly 71 million Americans starting in January 2026, with SSI payments beginning in late December 2025. This adjustment helps payments keep pace with inflation, though Medicare Part B premiums also increased for 2026, which is typically deducted from Social Security checks.
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 Social Security Fairness Act, was signed into law on January 5, 2025. The law ends two statutory reductions for railroad retirees, their spouses, and survivors who are receiving public pensions from work not covered by social security.
Second, How Much Will You Get (and What About Taxes)? The Social Security Administration says benefit increases can range from a small amount to more than $1,000 a month (the exact amount depends on factors such as the type of Social Security benefit received and the amount of the person's pension).
Six Changes to Social Security in 2026
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.