WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) applauded the announcement by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) that the over 3 million American public servants hurt by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) will immediately begin receiving Social Security benefit increases and retroactive payments. This follows the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals the two unfair Social Security provisions, WEP and GPO, and was signed into law on January 5, 2024, after Cassidy successfully secured a vote on the Senate floor. Earlier this month, Cassidy urged the SSA to move quickly to implement the new law.
“Police officers, teachers, nurses, and other state and local public servants across Louisiana will finally receive the correct Social Security payments,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These folks have waited years for this day. The fight took too long, but let’s focus on the victory.”
SSA will begin depositing retroactive payments into bank accounts on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, and complete nearly all retroactive payments by the end of March. Adjustments to ongoing monthly benefits will begin in April.
Before the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, around 94,000 Louisianans were unfairly penalized by WEP and GPO. WEP was enacted in 1983 and reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. GPO was enacted in 1977 and reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government.
Background:
Cassidy played a pivotal role in getting the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security.
Cassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.
Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May.
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