During his final days in office, President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act, which increased the federal retirement benefits of 3.2 million U.S. seniors. If you’re among them, you’ve probably eagerly awaited the adjustment to your checks, which may amount to as much as $1,100 more per month for some retirees.
As of April 25, the Social Security Administration has processed 2.3 million benefit adjustments. But that still leaves roughly 900,000 Americans waiting on their extra money. If you’re among them or you think you might be, here’s what you need to know.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
The Social Security Administration is manually processing complex cases
More than 80% of seniors affected by the Social Security Fairness Act have already received their benefit adjustment. The government was able to make all those changes so quickly because it automated the process of calculating most of them. However, some seniors’ cases are more complicated, and couldn’t be handled by the automated process. These folks haven’t started to receive their adjusted payments yet.
Real government employees will have to process each of these more complex benefit increases manually, which will take time. If you’re due for a bump thanks to the Social Security Fairness Act, but didn’t see an increase with your April payment, watch for notices from the Social Security Administration. It should inform you when it has adjusted your monthly benefit amount. This notice should also tell you how large your checks will be.
You may also be entitled to a one-time retroactive payment going back to January 2024, the law’s effective date. If you claimed benefits during this time, you’ll get a lump sum to make up the difference between what you received and what you were eligible for under the Social Security Fairness Act.
Right now, the Social Security Administration is releasing retroactive payments and adjusting monthly benefits on a rolling basis. It expects to have all affected beneficiaries’ records updated by early November.
What to do if you have questions about the Social Security Fairness Act
Most seniors won’t see their benefits change under the Social Security Fairness Act. It only applies to people who previously had money withheld from their checks under the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). These applied to retirees who received pensions from employers that didn’t pay into Social Security. Many teachers, police officers, and firefighters are among those affected, but many in these professions won’t qualify for a benefit increase.
If you’re not sure whether the Social Security Fairness Act should apply to you, you can contact the Social Security Administration to ask. However, you should be prepared for long wait times on the phone and for extended waits to schedule in-person appointments at field offices.
If you know you’re affected by the Social Security Fairness Act, make sure the agency has your correct address and direct deposit information on hand. The fastest way to do this is through your online my Social Security account.
If you don’t have one of these yet, it will only take a few minutes to set one up. You’ll need your Social Security number, and you’ll have to answer some identity verification questions. Once that’s done, you can set up a username and password for faster logins next time.
Keep an eye on your monthly benefits. In rare cases, people have been getting their revised payouts before they’ve received a notice from the Social Security Administration. If we reach November and your payment still looks the same, then make a call to find out what’s going on with your benefit.
The $22,924 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook
If you’re like most Americans, you’re a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known “Social Security secrets” could help ensure a boost in your retirement income.
One easy trick could pay you as much as $22,924 more… each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we’re all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies.
View the “Social Security secrets” »
The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
