In addition to federal CSRS retirees and survivors, the reductions had applied to many state and local government retirement systems, which account for the majority of those affected. Image: larry1235/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe SSA has said it has finished making back payments and increasing ongoing benefits under the law repealing the former government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions, ahead of a schedule that until recently projected that the work would continue until near year’s end.
“As of July 7, 2025, we completed sending over 3.1 million payments, totaling $17 billion,” the SSA said, adding as it had in the past that “Anyone whose monthly benefit is adjusted, or who will get a past due payment, will receive a mailed notice from Social Security explaining the benefit change or past due payment.”
“A beneficiary may receive two mailed notices, the first when WEP or GPO is removed from their record, and a second when their monthly benefit amount is adjusted for their new monthly payment amount. They may receive the past due payment before receiving the mailed notice,” it added.
The GPO had reduced, and in many cases eliminated, spousal or survivor Social Security benefits of those who receive an annuity from a system that does not include Social Security, such as the federal CSRS system. The WEP had reduced the personally earned Social Security benefits of such persons based on other earnings for which they did pay into Social Security (unless those earnings exceeded an annual threshold for at least 30 years).
In addition to federal CSRS retirees and survivors, the reductions had applied to many state and local government retirement systems, which account for the majority of those affected.
Although passed late in 2024, the repeal law was effective retroactive to the end of 2023, making January 2024 the first month the reductions did not apply. Social Security payments received in a given month are for the prior month, making the February 2024 payment the first for a retroactive increase.
Also as in past updates, the SSA said that those who had not applied for spousal or survivor benefits because the GPO would have totally offset them should apply now. It said it has received nearly 290,000 such applications, of which it has processed 92 percent.
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