The Government Pension Offset has been repealed. President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act on January 5, 2025, and the repeal of the government pension offset applies to every Social Security spousal or survivor benefit payable from January 2024 forward.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update If your spousal or survivor benefit had been reduced or wiped out because you also collect a government pension from work not covered by Social Security, that reduction is gone.
What the Law Actually Changed
The Social Security Fairness Act, Public Law 118-273, struck the GPO from the Social Security Act by removing paragraph (5) of Section 202(k) (42 U.S.C. 402(k)) and cleaning up every cross-reference to it in the spouse, widow, and widower provisions.2GovInfo. Public Law 118-273
December 2023 is the last month the offset applies. Everything payable from January 2024 on is calculated as if the GPO never existed.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update The signing happened in 2025, but the effective date is a year earlier, which is why retroactive payments are part of the picture.
If You Were Already Receiving a Reduced Benefit
You don’t need to file anything. SSA is adjusting affected records automatically and issuing both a higher ongoing monthly payment and a one-time lump sum covering the difference for every month back to January 2024.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update
What you should do is confirm SSA has the right address and the right bank account. Sign in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount and check both. If you can’t create an online account, call 1-800-772-1213 to confirm your information.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update
SSA mails a notice explaining the change. Some beneficiaries get two: one when the GPO is removed from the record, another when the new monthly amount is finalized. The retroactive lump sum may land in your account before either notice reaches you.
If You Never Applied Because of the GPO
File now. This is the group most likely to lose money by waiting, because the repeal did not change the rules on how far back a new application can reach. Retroactivity for retirement and survivor claims is generally capped at six months before the month you file. Every month of delay is a month of benefits you probably cannot recover later.
How you apply depends on the benefit:
- For retirement or spousal benefits, apply online at ssa.gov/apply. Selecting “Family Benefits” routes you through the retirement and Medicare application so SSA considers every benefit you qualify for. You can also file by phone at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update
- Survivor benefits cannot be applied for online. Call 1-800-772-1213 during the same hours.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update
When the Money Arrives
SSA began adjusting monthly payments on February 25, 2025. Most affected beneficiaries saw the new, higher monthly amount starting in April 2025, which covered the March 2025 benefit.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update The one-time back payment is deposited to whatever bank account SSA has on file, which is another reason to check your direct deposit information before an adjustment lands.
Medicare Part B: Watch This Transition
If the GPO had zeroed out your Social Security check, you have been paying your Medicare Part B premium directly, because there was no benefit to withhold it from. Once your restored benefit starts, SSA will begin withholding the premium from that payment instead. The switch takes time.
Until you receive an official notice confirming SSA is deducting the premium, keep paying your Medicare bill exactly as instructed. Letting a payment lapse while waiting for the systems to catch up can interrupt your coverage.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Update
If you use Medicare Easy Pay for automatic bank withdrawals, you have to stop them yourself once SSA confirms it is withholding from your benefit; you do that by submitting the Authorization Agreement for Preauthorized Payments form (SF-5510). If you pay through your bank’s online bill-pay, contact the bank to cancel the arrangement after your SSA notice arrives.
What the Repeal Does Not Change
Every other Social Security rule still applies. Claiming spousal benefits before your full retirement age still produces a permanent reduction. The retirement earnings test can still withhold benefits temporarily if you’re still working and earning above the annual limit. And the six-month cap on retroactive applications is untouched, which is why filing quickly matters if the GPO kept you out of the system until now.
One related point: the same law repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision, which had reduced a worker’s own Social Security retirement benefit based on non-covered pension work. That is a separate change from the GPO repeal covered here.