A sector of retirees in the United States will receive higher Social Security checks starting in April, as a result of the Social Security Fairness Act, enacted in January, approved during the Joe Biden administration and implemented when Donald Trump arrived.
The measure primarily benefits public employees historically affected by the WEP (windfall elimination provision) and GPO (Government Pension Offset) policies, which reduced their benefits.
Who receives a retroactive adjustment to their Social Security benefits?
The update includes a retroactive adjustment corresponding to January 2024, the month in which the changes took effect. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), one-time payments began to be distributed since the end of February, although the new monthly amount will be reflected in April 2025, corresponding to the March benefit. The funds are delivered one month late, in accordance with established protocols.
Beneficiaries will receive the updated amounts on three dates, depending on their date of birth: April 9 for those born between the 1st and 10th of any month; April 16 for those born from the 11th to the 20th; and April 23 for those with birthdays between 21 and 31. The SSA noted that complex cases require manual adjustments, which delays some payments.
An SSA official declared to us: “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.” All adjustments are expected to be completed in November 2025. As of March 28, 75% of cases had been processed, equivalent to 2.3 million beneficiaries.
Is anyone left outside this payments increments?
The SSA clarified that 72% of state and local employees will not be affected by the reform, since they work in positions that already contribute to Social Security and were not subject to WEP or GPO. These workers will not receive additional raises. The eliminated policies primarily applied to those who received public pensions concurrent with their federal benefits.
The administration urged recipients not to inquire about retroactive payments until April, as these will be distributed gradually throughout March. Although most adjustments are managed through automated systems, situations such as changes in marital status or custody require manual intervention, which extends the deadlines for certain cases.
Finally, the agency emphasized that retroactive benefits and new amounts will be released as the files are reviewed. “We are accelerating these cases now. […] We expect all records to be updated by early November 2025,” the entity added. The delays respond to the need to verify data such as years of contributions, work history and actuarial calculations.
Although the law was enacted in January, its implementation requires updating computer systems and training staff. The SSA manages around 65 million beneficiaries monthly, which complicates the incorporation of structural changes. The elimination of WEP and GPO was a landmark demand from unions and retiree associations, who argued that the policies penalized education, police, and fire workers.
