PENALTY FOR GOVERNMENT PENSIONS REMOVED

Until now, Social Security penalized individuals who have "public pensions" from a federal, state or municipal government. There were two penalties in this law:

1. The Windfall Elimination Penalty (WEP) denied Social Security benefits to individuals with a government or "public" pension.

2. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduced the amount of Social Security benefits for persons who had a pension from a federal, state or municipality.

Those penalties have now been removed, allowing thousands of individuals with government pensions to now receive Social Security benefits, too.

on 12/20/24 the US House of Representatives passed the Social Security Fairness Act and the US Senate passed it the next day. President Biden signed the bill on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

This law removes all Social Security penalties for persons who were once employed by the federal government or by state or city governments. This effects, for example, teachers, firemen, police, city and county workers, state workers or federal employees.

The law increases Social Security benefits for about two and one-half million Americans. The average increase will be around $360 per month.

Can there be back pay?

Yes. The Social Security Fairness Act provides that persons affected by these penalties may get back pay for 2024. This is huge. "You can get some of your money back."

So, if you have been denied a Social Security benefit (or received a reduced benefit) because you had a "public" or government pension--contact your Social Security office to get your Social Security benefits increased or started.

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Provided by The Forsythe Firm, Alabama's premier Social Security advocacy firm, fighting for you to recover the Social Security disability benefits you deserve. Call us for a FREE consultation. (256) 799-0297.