In one of his last actions before leaving office, former President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act in January 2025. This law made major changes to how Social Security payments are handled, especially for public sector workers like teachers, firefighters, and police officers.
The law removed two older rules, called WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) and GPO (Government Pension Offset), which had reduced payments unfairly for millions of retirees. Now, in April 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is still processing payments, including retroactive refunds.
Let’s take a closer look at what this means and who will benefit from it.
What Were WEP and GPO, and Why Were They Removed?
For years, many government workers received smaller Social Security checks because of WEP and GPO. These two rules were applied to people who also received pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security, like state or federal jobs under CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System).
WEP reduced monthly benefits for workers with external pensions. GPO cut the benefits for spouses or survivors, making it hard for families to get the full support they deserved.
The Social Security Fairness Act removed both rules, starting from January 2024, helping around 3.2 million people. This change mostly affects people whose jobs are now covered by Social Security, about 72% of state and local workers.
Retroactive Payments: How Much and When?
After the law changed, the SSA began sending out retroactive payments in February 2025. These payments cover the money lost between January 2024 and March 2025 due to WEP and GPO.
As of March 4, the SSA had paid over $7.5 billion to about 1.1 million people, with an average payment of $6,710 per person.
Most simple cases were processed quickly through automation, covering 85% of the total. More complex cases are being manually reviewed and could take until November 2025 to finish. All recipients will get a letter by post explaining the changes.
SSA recommends checking the status of your payment after April, once most processing is done.
Social Security April 2025 Payment Dates
The SSA is following a clear payment schedule in April. Here’s when different groups will receive their money:
April 1: People who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
April 3: People who live outside the U.S., get both SSI and Social Security, have state-paid Medicare, or applied for retirement before May 1997
For those who claimed after May 1997, payment dates depend on birthdays:
April 9: Born between the 1st and 10th
April 16: Born between the 11th and 20th
April 23: Born between the 21st and 31st
How Much Can You Get from Social Security?
Your Social Security amount depends on your age when you retire and your lifetime earnings. Here are the maximum amounts for 2025:
At age 62: Up to $2,831 per month
At age 67: Up to $4,018 per month
At age 70: Up to $5,108 per month
These amounts can change depending on how much you earned during your career and how long you worked. With the removal of WEP and GPO, many people will now see higher monthly payments or get back money they were previously denied.
The Social Security Fairness Act has brought real change for millions of retirees across the U.S., especially public workers like teachers and firefighters. By removing WEP and GPO, the government is correcting past mistakes and ensuring fairer benefits for everyone.
As of April 2025, most of the refund payments have been made, with others coming in the following months. The new payment schedule and increased amounts offer hope for a more secure retirement, especially for those who gave years of service to the public.
