Just received this email from SS about the Fairness Act.
We May Owe You Additional Benefits
We have been reducing or withholding your Social Security benefits because you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. The Social Security Fairness Act eliminates Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) retroactive to January 2024. Your benefits may increase because of the new law. However, if you owe past due Medicare premiums or have an outstanding overpayment balance, we may withhold some or all the retroactive benefits you are due.
How We Will Process the Payments
This law affects over three million beneficiaries. Our electronic payment systems cannot make all the necessary changes at the same time. Therefore, we will need to process the actions in several stages, which are expected to begin in late-February.
When Your Monthly Payments May Increase
Social Security benefits are paid one month behind. For example, you receive February’s payment in March.
If you are due retroactive benefits as a result of the Social Security Fairness Act, you will receive a single retroactive payment that covers the increase in your benefit amount back to January 2024.
You will get your new benefit amount the following month.
NOTE: You may receive two mailed notices, the first when the WEP or GPO is removed from your record, and a second when your monthly benefit is adjusted to reflect the increase. You may receive your retroactive payment before the mailed notice.
What We Need You to Do
Sign in to your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ to verify or update your mailing address and direct deposit information. NOTE: If you have filed for spouse’s or widow(er)’s benefits but are not receiving any monthly benefits due to GPO, please call us at 1-800-772-1213 if you would like to update your direct deposit information.
If you had any change in your pension amount between January 2022 and December 2023, please provide us with the date of the change and the old and new pension amounts. You do not need to report any changes that occurred after December 2023.
You can visit www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.htm to learn more about the SSFA. We will update the page as necessary.
Beware of scams. Please ensure you are on the Social Security Administration’s official website, www.ssa.gov, before entering any personal information.
We May Owe You Additional Benefits
We have been reducing or withholding your Social Security benefits because you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. The Social Security Fairness Act eliminates Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) retroactive to January 2024. Your benefits may increase because of the new law. However, if you owe past due Medicare premiums or have an outstanding overpayment balance, we may withhold some or all the retroactive benefits you are due.
How We Will Process the Payments
This law affects over three million beneficiaries. Our electronic payment systems cannot make all the necessary changes at the same time. Therefore, we will need to process the actions in several stages, which are expected to begin in late-February.
When Your Monthly Payments May Increase
Social Security benefits are paid one month behind. For example, you receive February’s payment in March.
If you are due retroactive benefits as a result of the Social Security Fairness Act, you will receive a single retroactive payment that covers the increase in your benefit amount back to January 2024.
You will get your new benefit amount the following month.
NOTE: You may receive two mailed notices, the first when the WEP or GPO is removed from your record, and a second when your monthly benefit is adjusted to reflect the increase. You may receive your retroactive payment before the mailed notice.
What We Need You to Do
Sign in to your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ to verify or update your mailing address and direct deposit information. NOTE: If you have filed for spouse’s or widow(er)’s benefits but are not receiving any monthly benefits due to GPO, please call us at 1-800-772-1213 if you would like to update your direct deposit information.
If you had any change in your pension amount between January 2022 and December 2023, please provide us with the date of the change and the old and new pension amounts. You do not need to report any changes that occurred after December 2023.
You can visit www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.htm to learn more about the SSFA. We will update the page as necessary.
Beware of scams. Please ensure you are on the Social Security Administration’s official website, www.ssa.gov, before entering any personal information.
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