A recent social security law change could mean hundreds of dollars more per month—don’t miss out! If you or your spouse have worked in a job that didn’t pay into Social Security—such as teaching or government employment—you may have been impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). But there’s big news: these reductions have been repealed!

What Are WEP and GPO?

• WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision): Reduced Social Security benefits for people who also receive a pension from a job that didn’t pay into Social Security.
• GPO (Government Pension Offset): Reduced spousal or survivor Social Security benefits for individuals receiving a pension from a non-Social Security-covered job.

What’s Changed?

In January 2025, Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act, eliminating both WEP and GPO retroactively to January 2024. This means:

• If your own Social Security benefit was previously reduced by WEP, that reduction is gone—your full benefit will be restored.
• If you were subject to GPO, your spousal or survivor benefits will now be calculated without the reduction from your pension.

What You Should Do Next

If Your Benefits Were Reduced by WEP

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will automatically adjust your benefit and provide back pay for any reductions made since January 2024. There’s nothing you need to do—just watch for updates from SSA.

If You Were Affected by GPO

• If you previously applied for spousal or survivor benefits and were denied (or received a reduced amount), SSA should automatically correct your benefit.
• If you never applied because you thought you weren’t eligible, now is the time to submit an application.

Need Help?

We are here for you. We can assist you in understanding how these changes impact your benefits. If you feel like this may impact your situation, we encourage you to visit with your CWA advisory team.

For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Certain information is based upon third party information and may become outdated or otherwise superseded without notice. Third-party information is deemed reliable, but its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed.