Social Security Fairness Act

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In January, the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law, guaranteeing earned retirement benefits for tens of thousands of Louisiana public servants. Many teachers, law enforcement officers, and state and local employees have been unfairly penalized by arbitrary provisions known as WEP/GPO which have reduced earned retirement benefits for public servants for many years. 

We fought hard for the Social Security Fairness Act last Congress in order to right this wrong, and justice won out. H.R. 82’s passage was a victory for Louisiana’s public employees, over 81,000 of whom have been affected by harmful WEP/GPO provisions. The Social Security Administration has begun implementation.

Is action required on my end?

• As long as the Social Security Administration has your mailing address and/or direct deposit information, no action is required on your end.
• If you need to update or verify that your information is up to date, you can:
  • Visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount
  • Call 1-800-772-1213
• If past rules have kept you from applying for benefits, you can apply at www.ssa.gov/apply.
• If you need to apply for benefits as a surviving spouse, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.
• Additional eligibility information can be found at www.ssa.gov/apply

When will I receive my updated benefits?

• Retroactive Payments: The Social Security Administration has begun making retroactive payments, which will date back to January 2024. 
  • If eligible, you will receive a one-time, lump-sum payment by the end of March. 
• Updated Monthly Benefits: Affected beneficiaries will begin receiving adjusted monthly payments in April 2025, the first payment of which will cover their March benefit.
• Anyone whose monthly benefit is adjusted, or who will get a retroactive payment, will receive a mailed notice from Social Security explaining the benefit change or retroactive payment.

For more information from the Social Security Administration, click HERE.

After hearing from many constituents on this important issue, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together in ensuring that our seniors can retire with their full Social Security benefits.