For years our friends who worked in the public sector, such as city and state employees, public school, teachers, and police and fire workers, have been at a disadvantage, when compared to their private sector, breatheren, who could collect multiple pensions from multiple employers and still get their full Social Security benefits.
If you fall into this category, we have great news for you. Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act in late 2024 with large by partisan support. President Biden signed the legislation into law just before leaving office. The new law now allows public employees to collect their full Social Security Benefits, in addition to their full public pensions.”
If you’ve been receiving reduced or withheld Social Security benefits due to a pension from work not covered by Social Security, there’s good news! The Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) has eliminated the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)—and the changes are retroactive to January 2024.
This means your benefits may increase under the new law. However, if you owe past-due Medicare premiums or have an outstanding overpayment, some or all of your retroactive benefits may be withheld.
When Will You See the Increase?
With over three million beneficiaries impacted, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is rolling out these updates in stages. Here’s what you need to know about timing:
- Processing Begins Late February – SSA’s payment systems cannot update all records at once, so adjustments will happen gradually.
- Payments Are One Month Behind – For example, you receive February’s benefits in March.
- Retroactive Payments for 2024 – If you're owed additional benefits, you’ll receive a one-time retroactive payment covering the increase back to January 2024.
- New Monthly Payments – Your adjusted monthly benefit will follow the next month.
How Will You Be Notified?
SSA will send out two notices:
- The first notice will confirm the removal of WEP or GPO from your record.
- The second notice will reflect your new, increased benefit amount.
Important: You might receive your retroactive payment before you get the notice in the mail.
What You Need to Do
To ensure you receive your updated benefits without delay, take these steps:
- Verify or update your mailing address and direct deposit information by signing in to your my Social Security account.
- If you applied for spouse’s or widow(er)’s benefits but weren’t receiving payments due to GPO, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to update direct deposit details.
- If your pension amount changed between January 2022 and December 2023, report the date and the old/new amounts. You don’t need to report changes after December 2023.
- Stay informed by visiting the Social Security Fairness Act page for updates.
· Beware of Scams
With major changes like this, scammers may try to take advantage of beneficiaries. Always ensure you're on the official SSA website (www.ssa.gov) before entering any personal information.
Final Thoughts
The Social Security Fairness Act is a game-changer for those impacted by WEP and GPO. If you were affected, expect a boost in your benefits soon. Be proactive by verifying your information, staying updated, and watching for official notices from SSA. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our office. We wanted to share this important update to you, our trusted friends and clients, as we continue to Move Life Forward.
© 2025 Nathan Ollish
Senior Financial Advisor
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