WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law over the weekend, according to the Social Security Administration.
This action reverses a longstanding rule that prohibited public service workers, including teachers, law enforcement officers and firefighters, from receiving their full Social Security benefits since they were eligible for public-funded pensions from their public employers.
The old rule also reduced Social Security benefits for workers who receive public pensions and for their spouses. Most American workers can draw Social Security once they reach a qualified age, usually over 60, but workers who were employed in public service such as local and state government, but also paid into Social Security in the private sector, had their Social Security reduced due to their public service pensions.
This new law includes the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
The Social Security Administration posted this statement on the action on its website January 6:
“The Social Security Fairness Act, HR 82, concerning the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, was signed into law on January 5, 2025. Upon implementation, the Social Security Fairness Act eliminates the reduction of Social Security benefits while entitled to public pensions from work not covered by Social Security. The Social Security Administration is evaluating how to implement the Act. We will provide more information as soon as available.”
WEP affected up to 2 million beneficiaries as of Dec. 2023, according to The Hill. That outlet also says that “The Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA) said that the agency disclosed it “made more than $457 million in improper payments related to WEP and GPO” in August 2022.”
