Washington, D.C. — Millions of retirees and public sector workers are now receiving higher Social Security payments after the elimination of two long-disputed provisions that had reduced benefits for years. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025, officially repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), affecting over 2.8 million Americans, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers.

The WEP and GPO had long adjusted Social Security benefits for individuals with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security, often resulting in significantly reduced payments. Their repeal, retroactive to January 2024, has led to sweeping changes in how benefits are calculated and distributed.

Retroactive Payments and April Increases

The Social Security Administration (SSA) began implementing the adjustments on February 25, 2025. By March, recipients saw retroactive payments averaging $6,710 to cover the missed benefits from January 2024 through early 2025.

Starting in April 2025, beneficiaries began receiving their newly adjusted monthly amounts, with some retirees reporting increases of over $1,000 per month. May will continue these higher payments without additional changes or delays.

Who Benefits Most?

The changes have had the biggest impact on public employees in states where Social Security coverage was not previously extended. About 28% of state and local government workers were affected by WEP or GPO, making the reform especially meaningful for long-serving educators, first responders, and other civil servants.

Increases vary depending on the recipient’s work history and past contributions. While most retirees won’t receive the maximum monthly benefits, the relief has been substantial for many who felt unfairly penalized under the old system.

SSA Working to Finalize Adjustments

Though the SSA has already processed most of the retroactive payments, some beneficiaries are still waiting for adjustments. An SSA official stated that 92% of all changes are expected to be finalized before July 2025. The agency has also streamlined the application process for new claimants through its website and phone services, encouraging users to update their contact information and direct deposit details.

Importantly, some recipients whose monthly checks increased after retroactive corrections are not seeing new money — they are finally receiving funds that should never have been withheld.

2025 Social Security Payment Amounts

The maximum monthly Social Security benefits for 2025 are:

• At age 62: $2,831
• At full retirement age (67): $4,043
• At age 70: $5,108

However, most retirees receive much less. Average payments by age group include:

• Age 62: $1,298
• Age 65: $1,563
• Age 67: $1,884
• Age 70: $2,038

These figures vary depending on lifetime earnings, years of work, and other individual factors.

May 2025 Payment Schedule

For those eagerly awaiting their next deposit, the May 2025 payment dates are as follows:

• May 2: For those who started receiving benefits before May 1997 or those also receiving SSI.
• May 14: For beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of the month.
• May 21: For those born between the 11th and 20th.
• May 28: For individuals born between the 21st and 31st.

As the SSA continues to roll out the changes from the Social Security Fairness Act, millions are finally seeing the benefits they were long denied.