WEP / GPO Resources

Congressman Steve Scalise is committed to ensuring that Social Security fulfills its promises to America's seniors. That’s why he cosponsored legislation to repeal the WEP / GPO and was proud to vote in support of the legislation (Social Security Fairness Act) that ultimately became law to finally fix this flawed formula. 

Thankfully, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that retroactive payments to individuals impacted by WEP / GPO will begin the week of February 25, 2025. 

WEP / GPO FAQ

For resources and information regarding changes to Social Security from the Social Security Fairness Act, please visit the administration’s WEP / GPO FAQ website, here. You can also reach out directly to the Social Security Administration on their website, here. 

Key Highlights on WEP/GPO Changes

• Starting the week of February 24, 2025, SSA will pay retroactive benefits and increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the WEP and GPO.
• If a beneficiary is due retroactive benefits as a result of the Act, they will receive a one-time retroactive payment, deposited into the bank account SSA has on file, by the end of March. This retroactive payment will cover the increase in their benefit amount back to January 2024, the month when WEP and GPO no longer apply.
• Social Security benefits are paid one month behind. Most affected beneficiaries will begin receiving their new monthly benefit amount in April 2025 (for their March 2025 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.
• NOTE: 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 retroactive payment before receiving the mailed notice.
• We have been able to expedite payments due to the use of automation. For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount.
• We urge beneficiaries to wait until April to inquire about the status of their retroactive payment, since these payments will process incrementally throughout March.
• Beneficiaries should also wait until after receiving their April payment before contacting SSA to ask about their monthly benefit amount because the new amount will not be reflected until April for their March payment.

Our Office May Be Able to Help 

If you aren't getting answers in a timely fashion, if you feel you have been treated unfairly, or if you're experiencing other difficulties, our office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. While we cannot guarantee a specific outcome, we will do our best to help you receive the fair and timely response to your problem that you deserve.  

Completing a Privacy Release form is required and is the first step to initiate assistance from our office. Click here to complete a Digital Privacy Release form online. If you need assistance filling out this online form, please call my office at (504) 837-1259.