The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025, repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) retroactively to January 1, 2024. Affected beneficiaries are entitled to back payments for benefits that were reduced due to these provisions, covering the period from January 2024 through the implementation of the new, higher, monthly payments in early 2025.
This retroactive payment will cover the increase in their benefit amount back to January 2024, the month when WEP and GPO no longer apply. Social Security benefits are paid one month behind. Most affected beneficiaries will begin receiving their new monthly benefit amount in April 2025 (for their March 2025 benefit).
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.
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.
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 The Social Security Fairness Act, signed in January 2025, cancels and ends two outdated provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset act (GPO) — that had reduced Social Security benefits for public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.
According to the June 2025 Social Security trustees report, the fund reserves that help pay for Social Security benefits will be depleted in 2033. Benefits won't run out, but retirees would then only be able to receive 77% of their full benefits.
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(WEP-affected) to $1,190/month (GPO-affected), plus retroactive lump-sum payments back to January 2024, as the Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) for many public servants.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.
President Biden signed the federal Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) into law on Sunday, January 5, 2025, impacting many CalSTRS members. H.R.
The Social Security Administration announced in October that beneficiaries will see a 2.8% increase in their monthly payments, known as the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. Individuals receiving Social Security benefits will notice the increase starting in January 2026.
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.
Most beneficiaries will receive their new benefit amount in April of 2025. Learn more. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (...
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has begun issuing retroactive payments to eligible beneficiaries under the Social Security Fairness Act, including police officers, firefighters, EMS providers and other public sector employees.
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 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.
Yes, a bill to eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) was passed by Congress and signed into law as the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, becoming effective for benefits payable after December 2023. This landmark bipartisan legislation ended decades of reduced Social Security benefits for many former public servants, like teachers and law enforcement, who also earned pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security.
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.
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.
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.
Yes, Social Security benefits will get a raise in 2026, with a 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), resulting in an average monthly increase of about $56 for retirees, bringing the average payment to around $2,064, starting with January 2026 payments. This adjustment is designed to help benefits keep pace with inflation, though higher Medicare Part B premiums might offset some of the increase for many beneficiaries.