A recent legal modification, approved in the United States Congress, will allow certain Social Security beneficiaries to receive higher amounts in their benefits starting in April. The change, established by the Social Security Fairness Act, seeks to correct the effects of two previous regulations: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
These regulations reduced the benefits of those who received public pensions, affecting millions of Americans who stopped receiving hundreds of millions of dollars since they were approved. Now, the change that eliminates the WEP and the GPO was approved in January 2025. And it includes the recognition of retroactive payments corresponding to January 2023.
Some Social Security beneficiaries will receive retroactive payments
The adjustments began to be applied in February, and the new monthly amounts will begin to be reflected this month. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) warns that some cases may experience minor delays.
The legislation partially eliminates the restrictions imposed by the WEP and the GPO, mechanisms that limited access to full benefits for public employees. Those who qualify will receive increases in their monthly payments and a one-time refund for amounts not received starting in 2023. The SSA estimates that 2.3 million adjustments have already been processed, equivalent to 75% of the total.
An SSA official explained to Elmira that they are trying to expedite cases as much as possible, releasing retroactive benefits and submitting new monthly amounts as they process each registration, application, or claim.
Who are the eligible beneficiaries?
The increase applies to specific groups: teachers, firefighters, federal workers under the Civil Service Retirement System and people with pensions from other countries. However, the SSA clarifies that not all public employees qualify. “Around 72% already contribute to Social Security and are not affected by the WEP or GPO,” the federal agency detailed.
Those who qualify should have received a notification by mail with details of the new amounts. Some, however, would have obtained retroactive payment before the formal communication was sent to them. Some beneficiaries may notice an extra $1,000, but the maximum Social Security retirement benefit is $5,108 during 2025. Payments may take time to update, as the SSA official said, because there are hundreds of thousands of cases to process.
The updated Social Security payment schedule
April deposits will follow the regular calendar based on birthdates:
- April 9: born between the 1st and 10th of the month.
- April 16: born between the 11th and the 20th.
- April 23: born between the 21st and the 31st.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients received only one payment in April, but two in May (on day 1 and day 30). The SSA suggests checking delays with financial institutions before contacting them. In case of inconvenience, you can call 1-800-772-1213 or go to a local office.