The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law in early 2025, repealed two long-standing provisions that had reduced Social Security benefits for certain public-sector workers and their spouses: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
With their repeal, many people became eligible for back pay (retroactive payments) and increased monthly benefits going forward.
This article explains what that means, how much you might receive, and how to track your payment.
What is the SSFA back pay?
Back pay under the Social Security Fairness Act means a one-time retroactive payment covering the period from January 2024 onward for people whose benefits were reduced by WEP or GPO.
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The Act applies to “monthly insurance benefits payable … for months after December 2023.”
In other words, if your benefit was reduced because of WEP or GPO for months starting in 2024 or 2025, you may receive a lump sum to make up that difference.
Who qualifies for the back pay?
You may qualify if:
- You had a pension from employment not covered by Social Security (for example, many state or local government jobs), and you also worked in Social Security-covered employment (WEP context).
- You are a spouse or surviving spouse eligible for Social Security based on someone else’s record, but you were subject to GPO due to a non-covered government pension.
- Your benefit was reduced by WEP or GPO for months after December 2023, and the law change now removes that reduction.
You do not need to apply for back pay separately if SSA has valid banking info and your case is eligible — the agency is automatically issuing these payments for many cases.
When will I receive the retroactive payment?
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA):
- Retroactive payments began the week of February 24, 2025.
- Many eligible people had their one-time lump-sum payment deposited into their bank account by the end of March 2025.
- Monthly increased benefits (reflecting the law change) began with the payment for March 2025 (which is paid in April) for most cases.
- Some complex cases requiring manual processing could take longer.
How much back pay will I receive?
The exact amount of back pay varies widely depending on your previous pension, your Social Security benefit, and how long you were reduced by WEP or GPO.
The SSA’s early data:
- As of March 4, 2025, 1,127,723 people had received retroactive payments totaling more than $7.5 billion, with an average payment of about $6,710.
- Some individuals may receive much more, and others less, and some cases may still be pending.
What months are covered by the back pay?
The law is effective for benefits payable for months after December 2023.
That means any reduction due to WEP or GPO for January 2024 onward may qualify for retroactive payment.
Benefits for 2023 or earlier are not retroactive under SSFA for these types of reductions.
What should I do to check my status or ensure I receive my payment?
- Log in to your My Social Security account at SSA’s website and check your benefit details.
- Ensure the banking information on file with SSA is up to date so the payment can be deposited.
- If you did not receive your payment by April or May 2025 (and you believe you qualify), you may contact SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or your local field office. However, SSA advises that most should wait until after the April payment before inquiring.
- Keep postal and email notices from SSA — you may receive two: one indicating removal of the WEP/GPO reduction, and one showing the new benefit amount.
What else should I know?
- Even if you never filed for reduced benefits because of WEP or GPO, you may now be eligible and should review this change.
- Retroactive payments are subject to regular taxes (federal income tax) and may affect your tax filing for the year you receive them.
- The boost in benefits and back pay due to SSFA may accelerate the depletion of Social Security trust funds. Some policy analyses estimate that this change moves up the trust fund exhaustion date by about half a year.