Social Security Fairness Act Increase: Thousands of retirees are finally getting the full Social Security money they deserve. The Social Security Fairness Act removed two old rules the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) that had reduced payments for many people like teachers, police, and firefighters who got pensions from jobs without Social Security.
Starting in January 2024, these cuts no longer apply. Retirees affected by WEP or GPO are now receiving full benefits like everyone else. Payments went up automatically in February 2024, even if no action was taken. Many have already seen more money in their checks.
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Retirees May Get Back Pay
The Social Security Administration (SSA) also said that people who were supposed to get more money can receive back payments. These will begin with the January 2024 amount, which people got in February. So, if someone was getting less money before, they will now get the higher amount and also receive the difference they missed starting from January.
Since this new law came out, more than 182,000 people have sent in new applications to the SSA. The agency said it has already finished going through 85% of those applications. This means a lot of people have already started getting their correct Social Security money.
Are you on the list of retirees who receive the most?
Here is the full list of retirees receiving the most benefits under the Social Security Fairness Act:
- Retired workers whose Social Security checks were reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)
- Workers with disabilities affected by the WEP
- Spouses whose benefits were reduced or eliminated by the Government Pension Offset (GPO)
- Surviving spouses whose Social Security was cut or denied due to the GPO
- Retirees who delayed their application because they knew the WEP or GPO would reduce their benefits
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If you were hit by the WEP or GPO rules in the past, you might already see more money in your Social Security checks now. These two rules used to lower Social Security for people who also got pensions from jobs that didn’t pay into the system, like teachers or police officers. But now those rules are gone, and many are getting full payments.
Don’t worry you don’t have to do anything If you’re already getting Social Security and those old rules affected you, as long as your bank and mailing info is up to date with the Social Security office. If you’re not sure, you can log in to your My Social Security account online or call 1-800-772-1213 to check everything.
If you didn’t apply for benefits before because those rules would’ve lowered your payment, now is the time to apply. Go to ssa.gov/apply and fill out your application. But if you’re applying for survivor benefits, you need to call the Social Security office because that form isn’t online yet.
