The Social Security Fairness Act, signed by former President Biden in January, increased benefits for many seniors in the U.S. But what if you haven’t received your increase?
As of May 2, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that 84 percent of workers have received increased benefits. This accounts for about 2.4 million people and could lead to some seniors getting as much as an extra $1,100 per month.
Social Security manually adjusting, processing some increases
Many seniors who were owed an increase should’ve already seen it in their benefits check. The government automated many of the changes, but some cases are a bit more complicated and can’t be easily automated.
Employees with Social Security will need to update each of these complicated cases manually. If you didn’t receive your increase in April, you should continue watching out for a notice from the SSA. These notices should tell you when the benefit will be applied and how much your new benefit will be.
You might also qualify for the one-time retroactive payments that date back to January 2024. If you qualify, you could get a lump sum to make up the difference between what your benefit checks were and what they should’ve been under the new act.
These retroactive payments are reportedly scheduled to be sent out to all qualifying individuals by early November.
Many won’t see changes in benefits despite law
The Social Security Fairness Act won’t affect all seniors’ benefits. The act focuses on ending the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. According to Social Security, these provisions reduced or eliminated benefits for over 2.8 million people.
The legislation affected those who received a pension based on work that wasn’t covered by Social Security because they weren’t paying taxes on it. Now, it will increase SSA benefits for certain workers, including some of the following:
Teachers, firefighters and police officers in many states
Federal employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System
People whose work was covered by a foreign social security system
However, not all teachers, firefighters, police officers and public employees qualify for the increase. According to Social Security, around 72% of state and local public employees were not affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision or the Government Pension Offset.
How will the Social Security Fairness Act affect the program?
Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act, despite righting a disparity, will put strain on the Social Security Trust Fund. Critics are concerned that funds will run out sooner than projected, with original estimates of 2035.
“The bill I’m signing is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity — that’s the entire purpose of the Social Security system,” former President Biden said during a signing ceremony at the White House in January. “This is a big deal.”
The future of Social Security is a top political issue and was a significant point in the 2024 election.
If you are ever missing a payment, the agency recommends first contacting your bank or financial institution to see if there is a delay. If there is no delay, you can contact the agency at 1-800-772-1213 or contact your local Social Security office.
You can use NewsNation’s Social Security calculator to estimate your monthly benefit.
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