Yesterday, President Biden signed H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, into law. It previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives on November 12, 2024, and the U.S. Senate on December 21, 2024.
The Social Security Fairness Act does not impact SURS benefits; however, it could increase Social Security benefits for some SURS members.
The Act repealed two federal laws–the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
The WEP and GPO reduced Social Security payments to many public sector retirees and survivors who received benefits from a public retirement system for employment that did not require contributions to Social Security. By repealing the WEP and GPO, these public sector retirees and survivors’ Social Security benefits will no longer be reduced.
The Social Security Fairness Act applies to Social Security benefits payable after December 2023. The Social Security Administration is preparing for implementation of the law and will publish more information on their website, www.ssa.gov, as soon as it is available.
SURS cannot answer questions about Social Security benefits or the specific impact of the Social Security Fairness Act on those benefits. Social Security benefits are calculated and paid by the Social Security Administration.