Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed

President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, increasing payments for nearly 3 million public service retirees and current employees, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers. The legislation eliminates two provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset—that previously reduced Social Security benefits for those receiving public pensions.

The law will boost monthly payments for affected retirees, with average increases of $360 to $1,190 by December 2025, depending on the recipient’s circumstances. Payments will be retroactive to January 2024, though the Social Security Administration has yet to clarify how adjustments will be implemented.

Advocates hailed the law as a long-overdue correction to inequities in Social Security. Edward Kelly of the International Association of Fire Fighters called it the end of a “40-year wrong,” while NEA President Becky Pringle praised its impact on educators and public service workers.

Despite bipartisan support, some lawmakers voiced concerns about the strain on the already challenged Social Security Trust Fund, which faces insolvency by 2035. The new law accelerates that timeline by six months, adding urgency to broader Social Security reform efforts.

Source: AP News