The Congress recently passed the Social Security Fairness Act, which got rid of two laws that unfairly cut benefits for some workers and their families. This change affects many public sector workers, like firefighters, police officers, and teachers, who received lower Social Security benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has made strides in processing payments more quickly than expected. They initially indicated that it might take up to a year to implement increased benefits, but now they report that many beneficiaries are already seeing their retroactive lump-sum payments. In fact, over a third of those impacted have started receiving payments that reflect what they would have received starting in 2024.
As of March 5, the SSA has sent out more than $7.5 billion in retroactive payments. This amounts to an average payment of $6,710 for each beneficiary. The SSA will continue to make adjustments to these payments throughout March, with changes showing up in April payments.
If you haven’t received your retroactive payment yet, the SSA advises waiting until April to reach out to them. They’re also asking beneficiaries with questions about their monthly payment increases to hold off until they get their April payments.
Wondering if you’ll get a larger payment? The SSA will send out notices to those eligible for benefits increases in the coming weeks. They estimate that around 3.2 million people will be affected by the changes.
Only a small number of people need to alert the SSA about their eligibility. This includes those who:
- Are unsure if they ever applied for retirement or spousal benefits.
- Did not apply for benefits due to the effects of the WEP or GPO.
If you haven’t applied for benefits due to these issues, the SSA suggests you might need to submit an application. You can apply online, or you can now also apply by phone. Just call 1-800-772-1213 during business hours, and when prompted, say “Fairness Act.” This will connect you to a representative trained to help with these specific claims.
How much will the benefits increase? According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the new law could raise monthly benefits by an average of $360 for those affected by WEP and between $700 to $1,190 for those impacted by GPO.
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