Social Security is Boosting Benefits: When To Expect Increased Payments

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Tuesday that increased benefit payments and retroactive payments will soon start arriving for millions of Americans.

These changes are a result of the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) signed into law in January by former President Joe Biden. The act ended decades-long policies that reduced benefits for certain groups of public-sector employees.

“The agency’s original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation. The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible,” Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security, said in a statement.

Why It Matters

The SSFA marked a significant shift in how Social Security benefits are calculated for over 3.2 million people, including teachers, firefighters and police officers who were previously affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

The expedited payments timeline announced Tuesday means that eligible recipients will soon see changes in their monthly Social Security payments, reflecting a fairer distribution of benefits.

What To Know

Starting in April, beneficiaries affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset will see increases in their monthly Social Security payments. The amount of the adjustment will depend on the type of Social Security benefit they receive and the amount of their pension.

Alongside these adjustments, one-time, retroactive payments—which account for benefits backdated to January 2024—are being processed and are expected to be completed by the end of March. These payments will be automatically deposited into the beneficiaries’ registered bank accounts.

The SSA is using automation to speed up the payment process, although some cases that require manual review may see extended processing times. Beneficiaries are encouraged to ensure their account information is current to facilitate smooth processing.

Those with adjusted benefits or who qualify for retroactive payments will receive mailed notices detailing the changes. Due to the priority placed on expediting the payment process, these notices may be delivered after the retroactive payments have been issued.

The SSA advises beneficiaries to refrain from contacting them about retroactive or increased payments until after they have received their April 2025 payments, as most issues are expected to be resolved by then.

Initially, the SSA estimated it could take a year or more to fully process the adjusted and retroactive payments due to the scale and complexity of the changes mandated by the SSFA. However, advanced automation techniques and prioritized processing encouraged by the Trump administration have allowed for an expedited timeline.

What People Are Saying

Maria Freese, senior legislative representative at the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, told Newsweek: “SSFA will benefit public sector retirees and their families. It will put money in their pockets that the WEP & GPO prevented them from receiving. Public sector retirees rely on their benefits as much as non-governmental employees do. So we are gratified that this unfairness has been corrected.

We are pleased that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it will expedite the payment of benefits under the SSFA. We do hope, however, that given the chronic understaffing and underfunding that the SSA must contend with — along with the disruption that Elon Musk and DOGE have caused — that the delivery of benefits to all other beneficiaries is not compromised by implementation of the SSFA.”

Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, told Newsweek: “I have questions [of] how a change of this magnitude will be carried out on an ‘aggressive schedule.’ The Trump Administration’s DOGE has made unsubstantiated claims of high levels of Social Security fraud, and has initiated federal worker layoffs could exacerbate existing staffing issues at the Social Security Administration. This chaotic situation could slow the filing of claims, perhaps make claiming more difficult and might make wait times longer.”

Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security, said in a statement: “Social Security’s aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible.”

Representative Clay Higgins, a Lousiana Republican, said in a statement: “We have restored righteousness to the Social Security benefits of our elders. Today’s announcement reflects our request to expedite implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act. Millions of Americans will now begin receiving the full benefits that they have righteously earned.”

Representative Bill Keating, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Last night we received some good news for those impacted by WEP/GPO: the SSA has a new plan to ensure that retirees nationwide will begin receiving their increased monthly benefits and retroactive payments under the Social Security Fairness Act beginning in April.”

Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, said in a video posted on X: “It took a long time to repeal WEP and GPO. Let’s enjoy the moment, enjoy that past payment.”

What Happens Next

The SSA has encouraged beneficiaries to remain patient as they roll out these changes and to check their official Social Security account online for the most accurate and up-to-date information.