The repeal of these provisions means that individuals who were previously affected by these reductions will retroactively have their full tier-I benefit amount restored for months after December 2023, the effective date of the repeal, and for future monthly benefit payments.
The Act is retroactive to January 2024, meaning December 2023 is the last month the WEP and GPO apply. The Social Security Administration (SSA) started issuing lump-sum payments to retirees in February 2025, effectively returning any withheld benefits from January 2024 onward.
Why you may be eligible for a retroactive payment
Automation is helping the SSA distribute the payments in a shorter timeframe, though complex cases that can't be processed this way will take longer to complete. The average retroactive payment is estimated at about $6,710.
Retro payments apply when an employee is owed additional compensation for work they have already performed, but were either underpaid or not paid at all. The most common reasons for retroactive pay include: Payroll errors. Delayed pay increases.
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.
How much money you can have in the bank before losing benefits depends entirely on the specific benefit program, with needs-based programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) having strict limits (around $2,000 for individuals) while earnings-based Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Retirement benefits typically have no asset limits. Other programs like SNAP (food stamps) or state Medicaid also have their own resource rules, so it's crucial to check your specific program's guidelines for its asset caps and exclusions.
Qualifying for the third stimulus check
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you will automatically qualify for the third stimulus check which will be in the amount $1400.
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.
Stimulus payments
Single taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $75,000 or below. Taxpayers filing as heads of household with AGIs of $112,500 or below. Married couples filing jointly with AGIs of $150,000 or below.
Answer: It is fairly common for members who are already retired to receive a retroactive payment for a period that they were previously working. This usually happens when a union settles a contract, which results in a payment to all members of that union who were employed after a certain date.
You get two Social Security checks in December if you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), not regular Social Security, because the January payment gets moved to late December (usually Dec 31) since January 1st (New Year's Day) is a federal holiday, resulting in a December 1st payment and a December 31st payment for January's benefits, with the later one often including the COLA increase.
The law applies to Social Security benefits beginning in 2024 and moving forward. According to the Congressional Budget Office, beneficiaries will see an average monthly increase of $360.
Social Security will take into consideration the amount of your assets, because it is a needs-based program. To be eligible for SSI, your assets must be less than $2,000 for an individual and less than $3,000 for a married couple. However, not all assets count towards the resource limits.
If Social Security isn't enough, you should supplement your income through other savings (401k, IRAs, brokerage accounts), explore government aid like SSI, SNAP, and Medicaid, consider working part-time, use programs like NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp to find assistance, potentially delay claiming benefits for a higher monthly payout, or look into annuities for guaranteed income.
Additional work will increase your retirement benefits. Each year you work will replace a zero or low earnings year in your Social Security benefit calculation, which could help to increase your benefit amount. Social Security bases your retirement benefits on your lifetime earnings.
Who is eligible for retroactive payments? Many first responders qualify for retroactive payments if their benefits were previously reduced by WEP or GPO. This includes firefighters, police officers and EMS providers in states where public sector pensions were not covered by Social Security contributions.
How to Calculate Retro Pay
Here are some of the more common reasons for back pay: