Social Security Fairness Act Signed into Law: What You Need to Know
On January 5, 2025, President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law. This new law repeals two provisions that previously reduced benefits for people who qualify for Social Security and also receive a state pension. If you're one of these individuals, this change could mean higher benefits when you retire.
What’s Changing?
The law repeals two key provisions:
- Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP): Reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not participate in Social Security
- Government Pension Offset (GPO): Reduced Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is still evaluating how to implement the new law and will provide more information as soon as possible on their FAQ page. With the elimination of these provisions, many retirees expect to see an increase in their Social Security benefits. For those who are already receiving Social Security, retroactive payments for 2024 will be issued to reflect the changes. This law does not affect those who haven’t worked in jobs covered by Social Security. University employees who are covered under SURS still do NOT pay into Social Security.
Protect Yourself from Scams!
Please be on the lookout for scammers pretending to offer help with your Social Security benefits. The SSA will never ask you to pay for services related to starting, increasing, or retroactively paying benefits. If you ever get an unsolicited call, text, or email, don’t respond! Hang up and report the incident to the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.
For more details about Social Security-related scams and how to report them, you can find helpful information here.
Want More Info?
If you’d like to dive deeper into the changes brought by the Social Security Fairness Act, visit the SSA FAQ page.
See also the SURS news item, Social Security Fairness Act Signed into Law.
