A significant turning point in the quick implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act has been declared by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
With an average payout of $6,710 per, the SSA has paid 1,127,723 people approximately $7.5 billion in back-offings as of March 4, 2025.
This increase in social security benefits came about following the abolition of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall abolition Provision (WEP). The law is expected to help a broad spectrum of workers, including teachers, first responders, and those former under foreign social security systems.
The SSA states that most qualified claimants should get their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March; daily payments will begin in April.
“President Trump made it quite clear he wanted the Social Security Fairness Act implemented as quickly as possible,” Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, said.
“We met that challenge head-on and are proudly delivering for the American people.”
Since they did not pay Social Security taxes, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) effectively either reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for nearly 3.2 million people who received a pension from employment not covered by Social Security.
The agency is now ready to make increased monthly benefit payments beginning in April for March’s recipients and divide the remaining retroactive payments.
Not expected to see a raise in their payments soon are over 3.2 million Social Security recipients—including former teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public sector personnel. The agency says most claimants could expect a one-time retroactive payment by the end of March; fresh monthly payments start in April.
The Social Security Administration has said that it would immediately begin processing these retroactive payments and will also disburse higher monthly benefits to everyone impacted by the now-reversed WEP and GPO. Signed into law last year by former President Joe Biden, these clauses were included into the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act.
Previously, the WEP and GPO had cut Social Security benefits for those who also obtained retirement payments from other sources, such state or local government public pension plans. Social Security Fairness Act supporters contend that it fixes a long-standing problem.
Already on the verge of a bankruptcy crisis, the Social Security Trust Funds could suffer an earlier blow from recently passed laws. Reflecting worries expressed in last May’s trustees report on Social Security and Medicare, forecasts indicate that the trust fund could start running short on full benefits by 2035—a dismal timeline further accelerated by the effect of this law.
Under the Social Security Fairness Act, Lee Dudek, interim commissioner of Social Security, announced a fast-tracked schedule for distributing back payments and increased monthly benefits amid these difficulties, therefore highlighting President Trump’s commitment to quick implementation.
“Social Security’s aggressive timeline to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible,” said Dudek. “The American people deserves to get their due benefits as quickly as possible.”