Social Security Fairness Act big update given on expanded benefits. Here's how it will impact millions of Americans
Social Security Administration
(SSA) has issued an update for those who have not yet received expanded benefits following the passage of the
Social Security Fairness Act
earlier this year, reports NewsWeek. The
SSA
has now processed about 91% of cases related to a new law that is prompting higher benefits and lump-sum retroactive payments for nearly 3 million people, according to a new update from the agency.
The
Social Security
Fairness Act removed two provisions- the
Windfall Elimination Provision
, or WEP, and the
Government Pension Offset
, or GPO- that previously reduced benefits for individuals who also receive income from public pensions that did not require the payment of Social Security payroll taxes, according to CNBC.
Lawmakers have passed the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, repealing two provisions that had reduced retirement benefits for certain groups, including teachers, firefighters, police officers, some federal employees, and their spouses. As a result, approximately 2.8 million individuals are now eligible to receive their
full Social Security benefits
.
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According to the Social Security Administration, 91% of those affected are already receiving full payments. However, a number of more "complex cases" are still being processed. As of April, the SSA reported issuing over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments to eligible recipients.
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Social Security Fairness Act benefits increase
The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) has reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pensions from public-sector jobs—such as state and federal positions—that did not require Social Security payroll tax contributions. This reduction applies even if the individual also worked in jobs covered by Social Security and qualified for benefits.
Similarly, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces spousal or survivor benefits for retired federal, state, and local government employees who did not pay into Social Security through payroll taxes.
"For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount," the SSA said in an update on its website. "We are expediting these cases now."
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Updated benefit amounts, including retroactive payments dating back to December 2023, began rolling out in April. While the Social Security Administration (SSA) has completed over 90% of these adjustments, some complex cases are still being processed.
If your payment is still pending, you will receive a notice from the SSA.
Status of payment delays
According to USA Today, newly appointed
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano
has instructed staff to resolve all remaining Social Security Fairness Act claims by July 1. These cases have been given top priority over other customer service requests. To meet the deadline, some SSA employees have been offered overtime to work weekends.
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"SSA has made significant strides in implementing the Social Security Fairness Act, having paid over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments to more than 2.2 million individuals affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. Under President [Donald] Trump's leadership, the agency's original estimate of taking a year or more to issue payments now will apply to only complex cases that cannot be processed by automation," the agency said.
The SSA said on its website that retroactive payments and newly adjusted benefit amounts are being released "as we process each case" with the expectation that "all beneficiary records will be updated by early November 2025."
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