WASHINGTON, D.C. – America’s seniors are getting the Social Security benefits they are owed quickly thanks to efforts by the Trump Administration and the Ways and Means Committee to implement the Social Security Fairness Act. Less than four months after Congress repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), the Trump Administration will begin paying Social Security beneficiaries who are owed retroactive payments as soon as March, and changes to monthly benefits will begin as soon as April, despite previous claims by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that implementation could take up to one year.
This action follows a letter sent by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Ron Estes (KS-04) to then Acting SSA Commissioner Carolyn Colvin requesting that the agency provide information and clear guidance to Congress and the American people on how the agency planned to implement the repeal of the WEP and GPO in a quick and efficient manner.
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement:
“The Trump Administration is wasting no time in ensuring America’s seniors receive the Social Security benefits they are owed. The Social Security Administration’s announcement that it will be expediting the delivery of retroactive payments and monthly benefit increases shows the agency is being responsive to the request of our Committee to act on the repeal of the WEP and GPO without delay. Not letting the bureaucracy get in the way of benefits owed to America’s seniors is the right course of action. It will bring much needed relief to those individuals who were harmed by a flawed system.”
Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Estes (KS-04) issued the following statement:
“Making the Social Security Administration work to provide the American people with their benefits is critical, which is why Chairman Smith and I wrote the acting SSA Commissioner to demand swift implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act. I’m pleased that the SSA is working to provide retroactive benefits as early as March and increased payments as early as April, with only complex cases requiring more time. The speed of this implementation is a reflection of my commitment, along with my Ways and Means colleagues and President Trump, to efficiently administer the Social Security program to ensure that Americans receive their benefits – including the teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers and others who have been disproportionately impacted by decades of WEP and GPO.”
Background:
- The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) was signed into law on January 5, 2025 – repealing the WEP and GPO, effective December 2023.
- The WEP and GPO were enacted in 1983 and primarily affected state and local government employees, like teachers, police officers, and firefighters, and federal government employees who received a pension based on earnings that are exempt from Social Security payroll taxes.
- The WEP reduced the benefits of certain beneficiaries who are entitled to both Social Security benefits and pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security.
- The GPO reduced the benefits of certain spouses and survivors who are also receiving pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security.