Important Social Security Update
What Teachers and Government Workers Need to Know
The Social Security Fairness Act was passed by Congress in December 2024 and signed into law by the president on January 5, 2025.
The new law eliminates Social Security benefit reductions for certain government workers and others who receive pensions from non-Social Security-covered jobs. These changes are effective retroactively from January 2024, meaning affected individuals will receive back payments from that date.
Does this affect you?
Workers if:
You worked in a job that did not pay into Social Security and expect to receive a pension from that job
AND
You also worked long enough in a Social Security-covered job to qualify for a Social Security benefit.
Spouses or Survivors if:
You qualify for a spousal or survivor benefit based on a spouse’s Social Security-covered work record.
What Has Changed?
If You’re a Worker:
Before: The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) could reduce your Social Security benefit by up to $600 per month.
Now: Starting January 2024, this reduction is eliminated, and your Social Security benefit will no longer be impacted by the WEP.
If You’re a Spouse or Survivor:
Before: The Government Pension Offset (GPO) could reduce your spousal or survivor benefit by two-thirds of your pension amount.
Now: Starting January 2024, the GPO is removed, and your spousal or survivor benefit will be calculated without considering your pension.
What happens now?
If your benefit has been or would have been reduced for the WEP, SSA will automatically remove the reduction and restore your full benefit retroactive to January 2024
There is nothing for you to do except wait and watch for communications from SSA
If you are eligible for a spousal or survivor benefit, you may need to contact SSA
If you have previously submitted an application for spousal or survivor benefits and either the application was denied or you are receiving a reduced amount due to the pension offset, the correction should be done automatically
If you have not applied because you thought you weren’t eligible due to the pension offset, you will need to submit an application
For more details, check out this article: