The agency said last week that the Social Security Agency (SSA) has paid more than 2.5 million retroactively for teachers, firefighters, police and others with public pensions, which were previously locked in pensions.
The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by President Biden in January 2025, requiring the agency to adjust its benefits 3.2 million peopleincluding the benefits of the future and the past. According to the May 27 update, Social Security has completed 90% of its cases.
Due to two federal policies, payments will be used for public pension holders who have previously been prohibited from collecting full benefits under the federal retirement plan: Federal Exit Phase-Out (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) (GPO). The Social Security Fairness Act ends these provisions and is open for millions of retrospective payments, dating back to January 2024. December 2023 is the last month for WEP and GPO applications.
If you are eligible for these payments, please continue reading the latest information from SSA.
The agency will start issuing payments on February 25. According to SSA, beneficiaries should receive a one-time retroactive payment deposited into a bank account the institution has backed up by the end of March 2025.
As far as new monthly benefits are concerned, most eligible parties should pay more from April. Social Security payments have a one-month lag, so April payments reflect benefits in March.
SSA has previously stated that most Americans must Wait for a year or more Get their benefits. According to its website, while the agency is able to speed up payments using automation, it requires manual handling of more complex cases, which therefore takes longer.
A spokesman for the agency said about 200,000 cases were not subject to automation. SSA said it expects all beneficiary records to be updated by November 2025.
Those eligible for those who have not received payments can check www.ssa.gov/myaccount or call 1-800-772-1213 to ensure that the SSA has the correct address and direct deposit information.
"Making sure the SSA has the right information can give you any retrospective benefits and new benefits amounts," the agency said in the update.
Social Security employees told USA Today they have directed priority to the Social Security Fairness Act case over its other work, which they warned could lead to payment delays, a claim that the agency dismissed.
"SSA has not put aside or postponed work because it prioritizes SSFA cases," a spokesperson for the agency told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. "There is no interruption in service. SSA is committed to paying the right people at the right time."
The amount of an additional payment depends on factors such as the type of social security benefits and pension a person receives. According to the SSA website, some people will see "very few" adjustments, while others may see more than $1,000 per month.
Any beneficiary who receives retroactive payments or monthly benefits adjustments will receive a mailing notice from Social Security to explain the change.
To learn more about your eligibility and how to pay Social Security, visit the Social Security Fairness Act website.
If you have never applied for retirement or spouse benefits, this is due to the Social Security Fairness Act passing federal laws, you may need to submit an application. To do this, please visit www.ssa.gov/apply.
According to the SSA website, the agency has received more than 200,000 new applications for the week ending May 23, and has received 87% of benefits applications since the law was passed.