The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it could take more than a year to fully implement the recently passed Social Security Fairness Act. The law, which repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), affects approximately 3 million government retirees, including teachers, police officers, and their spouses. Despite the law’s retroactive effective date of January 1, 2024, the SSA faces significant challenges in adjusting benefits and paying retroactive amounts due to current budget constraints and staffing shortages.
The agency is operating under a hiring freeze since November 2024, which is likely to continue, further complicating the implementation process. The WEP and GPO have long reduced Social Security benefits for government retirees who also receive pension income. The new law aims to eliminate these penalties, with the average monthly benefit increase estimated at $360.
However, some recipients could see raises exceeding $1,000, along with retroactive lump sum payments.
Ssa delays in law implementation
The SSA urges patience from beneficiaries as they prioritize implementing the new law, which may lead to delays in other services.
The agency is currently helping some affected beneficiaries, but under its current budget, it expects that adjusting benefits and paying all retroactive amounts could take more than a year. The delay in implementation is attributed to the lack of congressional funding provided to the SSA to carry out the necessary changes. The law requires the agency to adjust benefits for over 3 million people, including both past and future benefits, which is a complex and time-consuming process.
Government retirees who haven’t previously filed for benefits can do so online or schedule an appointment with the SSA. Those who have already filed should verify their current mailing address and direct deposit information if it has recently changed. The SSA reports receiving thousands of calls daily about the new law, and the volume of inquiries is expected to increase in the coming weeks and months.
All SSA customers, including those not affected by the Social Security Fairness Act, will likely face delays and increased wait times as the agency prioritizes this new workload.
