President Biden Signs Into Law the Social Security Fairness Act
Jan 06, 2025
Law to boost social security payments for millions of public workers
On Sunday, President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, significantly increasing Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million former public employees in the United States. This landmark legislation repeals two significant federal policies—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
These policies previously prevented teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other government workers with pensions from jobs that didn’t contribute to Social Security from receiving full Social Security benefits. They also reduced benefits for those workers’ spouses and surviving family members. The repeal marks a meaningful step toward greater financial security for these individuals and their families.
What does this mean for you?
If you worked in a public sector position, you might qualify for higher Social Security benefits based on your work and pension history. Additionally, if you’re a spouse or survivor, your benefits could increase.
The enhanced benefits introduced by the Social Security Fairness Act would apply retroactively to December 2023. This means that payments for eligible individuals are expected to be backdated to January 2024.
Next steps?
The Social Security Administration is expected to release additional details about the implementation soon. We encourage you to stay informed by visiting their official page: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.html
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