The bill eliminates the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset from the Social Security Act of 1935, which limited the amount of Social Security benefits someone can receive if they already have a government pension.

The bill is scheduled to be signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, January 6, 2025. However, the President is allotted 10 days (excluding Sundays) to sign the bill.

How do we make sure we get our money?

It depends on your status with the Social Security Administration.

1. If you are already receiving your own Social Security benefits that are reduced because of the WEP, they have all your information, and after they make some decisions about how to proceed, you will hear from them.
2. If you are receiving only partial benefits because of the GPO, Social Security is aware of your status and should change your award as the process moves on.
3. If you have applied for spousal or survivor benefits and are receiving nothing because of the GPO, Social Security has your information and should inform you of your change in status and the change in your award as their process develops.

The bottom line here is that recalculating Social Security benefits will be a complex process, and communicating with the Social Security Administration by phone is likely to be a daunting and fruitless process. We must wait!

Here are two exceptions: Contact Social Security at www.ssa.gov

1. If you know that Social Security does not have your current address or marital status.
2. If you have never applied for benefits, and you are a qualified spouse, divorced spouse, or a widow/widower of a Social Security beneficiary, you need to apply for spousal or survivor’s benefits now to insure that the Social Security Administration is aware that you may be newly eligible. These benefits are all paid on your spouse’s record, which might not be cross-referenced to your record in the Social Security files.