Congressman Carter Announces Social Security Benefit Increases and Retroactive Payments

 Data News Staff Edited Report

Last week, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) as First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), working alongside Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA) as an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, announced that approximately 94,000 Louisiana 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 from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). Congressman Carter worked tirelessly to mobilize a discharge petition and force a vote on the House floor for this legislation and has been advocating for these provisions to be repealed since before he was elected to Congress. Congressman Carter brought nearly 60 of his fellow CBC members to this effort.The Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals the two unfair Social Security provisions, WEP and GPO, was signed into law on January 5, 2025, by President Joe Biden.

“Our teachers, firefighters, police officers, and countless other public servants in Louisiana and around the country must receive their hard-earned benefits,” said Rep. Carter. “Public servants dedicate their lives to our communities, and it’s only right that they receive the full retirement compensation they deserve as quickly as possible. After a long journey, I’m happy to see the SSA moving forward with these payments.

“However, I am deeply concerned by reports that the Musk-Trump Administration is shutting down offices and firing critical SSA staff. Dismissing the people who process Social Security checks means seniors won’t get the benefits they earned, plain and simple. Democrats won’t let this happen. We are doing everything in our power to protect hardworking American taxpayers.”

The Social Security Fairness Act passed in the House of Representatives in November 2024 with a vote of 327 – 75 and in December 2024 in the Senate with a vote of 76 – 20.

Beginning this week, the SSA will start issuing retroactive payments and will increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April. Many beneficiaries will be owed a retroactive payment because the WEP and GPO offset no longer apply as of January 2024. Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, which will be deposited into their bank account on record with Social Security. Many of these people will also receive higher monthly benefits, which will first be reflected in the benefit payment they receive in April. Depending on factors such as the type of Social Security benefit received and the amount of the person’s pension, the change in payment amount will vary from person to person.

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. Most people will receive their retroactive payment two to three weeks before they receive their notice in the mail.

You can visit the agency’s Social Security Fairness Act webpage to learn more and stay up to date on its progress.