In April 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has made important updates to its payment procedures. These changes are thanks to the Social Security Fairness Act, one of the final moves of President Joe Biden’s administration before handing over power to Donald Trump.
The new law brings relief to more than 3.2 million Social Security beneficiaries, especially public workers like teachers, firefighters, and federal employees. Let’s understand what this law does, how it affects your payments, and when you can expect your money.
What Is the Social Security Fairness Act?
Passed in January 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act removed two controversial rules that reduced retirement benefits for many people:
These rules reduced payments for people who received pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security, like some government and state workers. The WEP affected personal retirement benefits, while the GPO reduced benefits for spouses and survivors.
With this law in place, these rules have been eliminated as of January 2024. Now, workers who contributed to other retirement systems no longer face cuts in their Social Security benefits.
Who Is Getting Retroactive Payments?
Because the law became effective from January 2024, people who had their payments reduced between January 2024 and March 2025 are now getting back the money that was taken from them.
As of March 4, 2025, the SSA has paid out more than $7.5 billion to around 1.12 million people, with each person receiving an average of $6,710. These payments were mainly sent by direct deposit.
However, not everyone has received their money yet.
When Will All Payments Be Sent?
The SSA has said that most of the simpler cases were handled quickly using automated systems. These made up about 85% of all adjustments.
But for more complex cases, where payments require manual review, it could take until November 2025 for everything to be finalized.
The SSA is also sending letters by post to explain changes in payments to all affected individuals. They recommend checking your status after April 2025, once the bulk of the adjustments are completed.
April 2025 Social Security Payment Schedule
Here is the official payment schedule for April 2025:
April 1
For those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
April 3
For people who:
- Live outside the U.S.
- Receive both SSI and Social Security
- Have state-paid Medicare
- Applied before May 1997
Post-May 1997 SSDI and Retirement Recipients
Payments are based on your birth date:
- April 9: Birthdays between 1st and 10th
- April 16: Birthdays between 11th and 20th
- April 23: Birthdays between 21st and 31st
How Much Can You Receive in Social Security Payments?
The maximum Social Security benefit depends on the age you begin collecting your retirement benefits and your work history:
- At age 62: Up to $2,831/month
- At age 67 (full retirement age): Up to $4,018/month
- At age 70: Up to $5,108/month
Your final amount depends on how long and how much you’ve contributed to Social Security. Now, with the Fairness Act, you may see an increase if you were affected by WEP or GPO.
The Social Security Fairness Act has brought real changes to millions of Americans, correcting past cuts caused by WEP and GPO rules. If you were affected, you might already have received a retroactive payment, or it may arrive in the coming months. The SSA is working hard to finish payments by November 2025.
Meanwhile, make sure you know your April 2025 payment date based on your specific case. The updates also mean that some people will receive higher monthly benefits than before.
