Starting this week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has begun payment of retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

 

Until its repeal in late 2024, these provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million public employees who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a “non-covered pension”) because they did not pay Social Security taxes. The Social Security Fairness Act, sponsored by former Senator Sherrod Brown and signed into law by Pres. Joe Biden, made these payments possible. 

 

The SSA announced the following:

If a beneficiary is due retroactive benefits as a result of the Act, they will receive a one-time retroactive payment, deposited into the bank account SSA has on file, by the end of March. 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).