A new change in the United States Social Security system has brought some good news to a specific group of retirees. Since April 2025, many former public workers — including teachers, police officers, and firefighters — have started receiving higher Social Security payments. But this benefit is not for everyone. It only applies to a select group of people affected by old rules that used to reduce their benefits.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s changing, who qualifies, how much extra money some people are getting, and what the government is doing about it.
What Is the Social Security Fairness Act?
The Social Security Fairness Act, passed in January 2025, is a new law that removes two older rules — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These rules, which were in place since 1983, reduced Social Security benefits for public workers who had pensions from jobs that didn’t deduct Social Security taxes.
For example, a schoolteacher or firefighter with a state pension might have seen lower Social Security payments due to WEP or GPO. The new law eliminates these cuts, which means many people now receive full Social Security benefits.
Who Will Get Higher Payments?
This change doesn’t apply to everyone. It only helps public employees who worked in non-Social Security-covered jobs. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), about 3.2 million people were affected by the old WEP and GPO rules. These include:
- Police officers
- Firefighters
- Teachers
- Other public workers with non-contributory pensions
However, around 72% of state and municipal workers still pay into Social Security, so they are not affected by this law.
How Much More Will They Receive?
The payment increases began to show up in April 2025 deposits. The SSA started the update process in February. By March 5, around $7.5 million in back payments had already been given to 1.1 million people, with an average of $6,710 each.
As of April 11, 81% of the 2.3 million eligible cases had been processed. Some retirees are receiving over $1,000 extra per month, while others may get smaller amounts based on their specific pension and benefits history.
Payment Dates in April 2025
People who are eligible will see the increased amount in their regular Social Security deposit, depending on their birth date:
- Birthdays between the 1st and 10th: Paid on April 9
- Birthdays between the 11th and 20th: Paid on April 16
- Birthdays after the 21st: Paid on April 23
These payment dates follow the SSA’s usual schedule and apply to those who were already receiving Social Security benefits.
Retroactive Payments and Adjustments
The updated payments officially apply from January 2024, but the actual money started arriving in February 2025, as per the SSA’s payment cycle. By March 2025, most retroactive payments were sent.
However, about 19% of the cases are still being processed. These are mainly cases with more complicated adjustments. The SSA has not given an exact date for when the rest will be completed.
Beneficiaries are advised to log in to their SSA account via Login.gov or visit their local SSA office to check their personal payment updates.
The Social Security Fairness Act has been a major win for many retired public workers in the United States. It corrects a long-standing issue where retirees from non-Social Security-covered jobs received reduced benefits. While not all government workers qualify, over 3 million are expected to see meaningful increases in their payments.
The SSA is still working to finish all adjustments, but most eligible people began receiving more money starting in April 2025. If you think you may qualify, it’s a good idea to check with SSA directly for updates.
