Social Security Fairness Act

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Social Security Fairness Act (simplified)

What is it
The Social Security Fairness Act repeals two rules—the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)—that can reduce Social Security benefits for people who have government pensions or worked in jobs not covered by Social Security. By removing these rules, many retirees will receive closer to their full Social Security benefits.

What changed
- Repeal of Government Pension Offset (GPO): The rules that offset Social Security benefits for people who also have a government pension were ended.
- Repeal of Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP): The rules that reduce Social Security benefits for people who didn’t pay Social Security taxes on all their earnings were ended.
- Effective date: The changes apply to monthly Social Security benefits payable for months after December 2023. The Social Security Commissioner will adjust benefit calculations as needed to reflect the changes.

Why this happened
- The act aims to ensure more retirees receive the full Social Security benefits they earned, even if they also have a government pension or non-covered earnings.

How it progressed
- Introduced in 2023 as H.R. 82 by Rep. Garret Graves (R–LA).
- Passed the House on November 12, 2024 (327–75).
- Passed the Senate on December 21, 2024 (76–20).
- Signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 5, 2025.
- Public law: Pub. L. 118-273.

What it means for you
- If you have a government pension or worked in a job not covered by Social Security, you should not see a reduction in your Social Security benefit due to GPO or WEP.
- Your monthly benefit will reflect the removal of these reductions, within the rules set by the Social Security Administration.