Biden Signs Social Security Fairness Act, Boosting Benefits for Millions

On Sunday, President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act, which will change the benefits for millions of Americans in a big way. The new law gets rid of two parts—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—that lowered Social Security payments for government workers who also got other incomes. 

The WEP used to lower retirees' Social Security benefits if they worked for companies that didn't take out Social Security taxes, like state or local governments or some foreign companies. The GPO also cut Social Security spousal or survivor payments for people who also got their government pensions. 

President Biden said during the signing event at the White House, "This bill is about a simple idea: Americans who have worked hard their whole lives deserve to retire with honor." "This is very important." 

When it goes into force in January 2024, the law will likely increase Social Security payments for about 3 million retired teachers, firefighters, and police officers. Backdated payments will also have to be made, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) is still figuring out how to do that. Some people who are against the bill are worried about how much it will cost the Social Security Trust Funds. 

The yearly report from the trustees, which came out in May, said that by 2035, the funds would not be able to pay full benefits. The new law cuts the time it takes to predict bankruptcy by about six months. 

People who support the bill say it fixes long-standing problems and makes sure that public employees get all the perks they've earned. But the SSA is already under a lot of stress because it doesn't have enough people, and enforcing the law will make things even harder for them. 

This bill shows the balance between fairness and fiscal responsibility, which is important because Social Security is still a big political problem. Beneficiaries should keep an eye on the SSA's updates to find out more about how these changes will be put into place.

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