President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act on Sunday, expanding retirement benefits for nearly 3 million current and former public employees, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers.
The new law eliminates two long-standing provisions - the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) - that previously reduced Social Security benefits for public workers who also receive pension income.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, affected beneficiaries will see substantial increases in their monthly payments:
- WEP elimination will provide an average boost of $360 per month by December 2025
- GPO removal will increase benefits by an average of $700 monthly for those with living spouses
- Surviving spouses will receive an average increase of $1,190 per month
The changes apply retroactively to December 2023, meaning eligible recipients will receive back payments. The Social Security Administration will adjust payments, though specific implementation details are pending.
"Americans who have worked hard all their life to make an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity," Biden said during the White House signing ceremony.
The bipartisan legislation passed with strong support in both chambers - 76-20 in the Senate and 327 in favor in the House. Key sponsors included Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
Labor unions and advocacy groups celebrated the law's passage after decades of lobbying efforts. Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, called it "righting a 40-year wrong" that particularly impacted surviving spouses of public servants.
While expanding benefits, the law will accelerate Social Security's projected insolvency date by approximately six months. The program's trust fund is currently expected to be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2035.
The Social Security Administration, already operating at its lowest staffing levels in 50 years, will face additional administrative work implementing these changes while serving over 72 million beneficiaries.