The Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed it has completed sending payments to those impacted by the Social Security Fairness Act, five months ahead of schedule. In January, lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill that repealed two provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—that limited retirement benefits for certain workers, including teachers, firefighters, police officers, some federal employees, and their spouses. The agency began issuing these payments in February.
The new payments included updated benefit amounts and backdated payments to January 2024. Despite previously longer timelines, the SSA confirmed it has sent out 3.1 million payments to those impacted by the repeal of the WEP and GPO. The WEP reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who received pensions from public-sector jobs—such as state or federal positions—that did not require paying Social Security payroll taxes.
This reduction applied even if the individuals also worked in jobs where they paid into Social Security and qualified for benefits. The GPO lowered spousal or survivor benefits for retired federal, state, or local government workers who had not contributed to Social Security through payroll taxes.
Payments sent early
The SSA also reported significant progress in its ongoing efforts to improve customer service, including upgrading telephone systems in 841 field offices—70 percent nationwide—and reducing the average wait time on its 800 Number to 13 minutes, a 35 percent drop from last year. A new service model in field offices has reduced wait times by 10 percent year-over-year. The initial disability claims backlog has been reduced by 25 percent, from 1.2 million to 950,000 cases.
Disability hearings have reached a low of 276,000 still pending, with wait times down by 60 days compared to last summer. SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano stated in a press release: “My top priority is to transform SSA into a model of excellence—an organization that operates at peak efficiency and delivers outstanding service to every American. The American people have waited long enough for better service, and they deserve the absolute best from their government.
I am deeply grateful to our dedicated employees who are already making this turnaround a reality.”
The SSA noted that the agency is continuing to make improvements across its services. The Social Security milestone marks significant legislative changes and ongoing enhancements in customer service, demonstrating a commitment to better serving the American public.
