Wichita Standard

America's seniors will soon receive the Social Security benefits they are owed, thanks to efforts by the Trump Administration and the Ways and Means Committee. The implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act is set to expedite payments less than four months after Congress repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Retroactive payments will begin in March, with changes to monthly benefits starting in April, despite previous claims by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that it could take up to a year.

This development follows a letter from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) and Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) to then Acting SSA Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. They requested information on how the agency planned to implement the repeal quickly.

Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Estes stated: "Making the Social Security Administration work to provide the American people with their benefits is critical, which is why Chairman Smith and I wrote the acting SSA Commissioner to demand swift implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act. I'm pleased that the SSA is working to provide retroactive benefits as early as March and increased payments as early as April, with only complex cases requiring more time."

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Smith remarked: "The Trump Administration is wasting no time in ensuring America’s seniors receive the Social Security benefits they are owed. The Social Security Administration’s announcement that it will be expediting the delivery of retroactive payments and monthly benefit increases shows the agency is being responsive to our request."

The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025, repealing WEP and GPO effective December 2023. These provisions primarily affected state and local government employees like teachers, police officers, firefighters, and federal government employees who received pensions exempt from Social Security payroll taxes.

The WEP reduced benefits for those entitled to both Social Security benefits and pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security. The GPO reduced benefits for certain spouses and survivors receiving pension benefits from such employment.