A segment of retired public employees in the United States will see an increase in their Social Security payments beginning April 2025, following the enactment of the Social Security Fairness Act. The law, passed in January during the Biden administration and implemented under President Donald Trump, eliminates long-criticized provisions that had previously reduced benefits for millions of public workers.
Boost for Retired Public Employees
The change primarily benefits those impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—two policies that significantly reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who received public pensions in addition to federal retirement benefits. These provisions disproportionately affected retired educators, police officers, and firefighters, many of whom have long lobbied for reform.
Retroactive Payments and April Payouts
The adjustment includes retroactive payments dating back to January 2024, when the policy changes officially took effect. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), one-time retroactive payments began at the end of February, with updated monthly checks scheduled to begin in April 2025 (reflecting March benefits, as payments are always issued one month in arrears).
Recipients will see payments distributed on the following dates based on their birthdate:
- April 9: Birthdays between the 1st and 10th
- April 16: Birthdays from the 11th to 20th
- April 23: Birthdays from the 21st to 31st
SSA officials noted that while automation has expedited many cases, complex situations—such as changes in marital status or benefit histories—require manual review, which may delay some payments.
“We have been able to expedite payments using automation. For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update records,” an SSA spokesperson said.
As of March 28, the SSA had processed approximately 75% of the cases, amounting to around 2.3 million beneficiaries. The remaining updates are expected to be completed by November 2025.
Not Everyone Will Receive a Raise
The SSA clarified that about 72% of state and local employees will not receive increased payments, as they were never affected by WEP or GPO. These employees already contributed to Social Security throughout their careers and will not see adjustments under the new law.
Officials are advising the public to avoid contacting SSA about retroactive payments until after April, as many are still in process. The agency emphasized that all benefit adjustments depend on verifying critical information such as employment history, contributions, and actuarial calculations.
A Long-Awaited Win for Public Sector Workers
The elimination of WEP and GPO marks a significant victory for retiree advocacy groups and unions, who argued that the provisions unfairly penalized workers in key public sectors. The SSA, which handles benefits for over 65 million Americans, has faced technical and staffing challenges in rolling out the policy, including system upgrades and training personnel to implement the changes.
Despite the hurdles, the agency says it is on track to finalize all adjustments by early November, bringing long-awaited relief to millions of retirees across the country.