Good news for American retirees who were affected by the controversial WEP and GPO rules, which were imposed on millions of Social Security beneficiaries for many years. Get ready because retroactive payments are coming and faster than you imagined.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) just sped up the process, so that overdue money could appear in your account as early as this week. How about the good news we have brought you?
The SSA activated the turbo in its car and accelerated at full speed, using the latest in technology to solve this problem of injustice that impacted so many recipients of its benefits.
Big Win for Retirees: Retro Payments Fix WEP & GPO Injustice
For those who are lost: the WEP and the GPO are a couple of old rules that cut Social Security benefits for public workers, such as teachers, firefighters or federal employees. Basically, if you had a job in the private sector and another in the government, they adjusted the amount of your pension, a low blow for recipients who saw their payments shrink.
Things get better because, thanks to the Social Security Equity Law (approved in January), those two regulations were eliminated. This means thousands of people will see their monthly payments increase starting in April. Oh, and the retroactive amount will compensate for what they stopped receiving since the beginning of the year.
But, not everyone will see the money at the same time. The SSA warns that complex cases (such as problems with registrations or manual adjustments) could take longer. That’s why they ask people not to bombard them with calls until April. “Trust us we are working as fast as we can,” said an SSA official we consulted. Of course, if you don’t see movement by May, then it’s time to complain.
Social Security Equity Law: The Game-Changer for Retirees
The National Association of Federal Employees (NARFE) is elated. John Hatton, one of its spokespersons, said: “This is music to our ears! “We have been fighting for this for decades, and for the payments to arrive now is a giant relief.” No wonder: many retirees depend on every dollar to cover basic expenses.
Remember when the SSA claimed it didn’t have the money or personnel to expedite this? Well, the interim commissioner, Lee Dudek, now presumes that everything is going smoothly. “President Biden prioritized this law, and here we are complying,” he said. Although… they still don’t explain how they solved the budget issues that previously held them back.
In total, about 3 million people will benefit from this change. The law not only corrects a historical injustice, but also restores hope to families who have been fighting for justice for years. And although the path was not easy (Democrats and Republicans had to unite), in the end it was achieved.