Social Security GPO vs WEP backpay confusion - who gets January 2024 retroactive payments?

From what I understand, the backpay is ONLY for WEP affected pople. GPO people like you aren't getting anything. My wife is in the same boat - she gets hit with GPO and there's nothing in the new rules about that.

I just went through this with my mom! The retroactive payments from January 2024 are specifically for individuals affected by the WEP rule changes. The Social Security Fairness Act modified the WEP calculation, but it didn't eliminate or change GPO (yet). If your spousal benefits were reduced because of GPO, you unfortunately won't see retroactive payments under the current changes. GPO still reduces spousal/survivor benefits by 2/3 of your non-covered pension. I know it's confusing because both WEP and GPO are often discussed together, but they're separate provisions affecting different types of benefits. WEP affects your own retirement benefits, while GPO affects spousal/survivor benefits.

My neighbor thought she was getting money back from GPO too but SSA told her no. Its only WEP people that get the back pay from January. GPO is still fully in effect with no changes. Stupid system if you ask me!!!

The confusion is understandable, but I can clarify this. The recent change only affects the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Specifically, the Social Security Fairness Act modified how WEP is calculated for individuals who worked in jobs not covered by Social Security (like many teachers, police officers, etc.). The retroactive payments going back to January 2024 are ONLY for people whose own retirement benefits were reduced by WEP. The Government Pension Offset (GPO), which affects spousal and survivor benefits, remains unchanged. So to answer your question directly: No, if you're affected by GPO on your spousal benefits, you will not receive retroactive payments under the current legislation. Only those affected by WEP will see that adjustment. There is ongoing advocacy to address GPO as well, but it wasn't included in this round of legislative changes.

I've been dealing with this exact issue! I spent hours trying to reach someone at Social Security to get clear information. After being disconnected three times and waiting on hold for over two hours, I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a Social Security representative in under 10 minutes. The rep confirmed what others are saying - the backpay is only for WEP-affected benefits starting from January 2024. GPO rules haven't changed at all. I was hoping for different news since my spousal benefits are reduced by GPO, but at least I got a definitive answer. If you're still confused or want to confirm directly with SSA, I'd recommend checking out their service. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me from spending another day trying to get through on the phone.

this is all so confusing!! my husband and i both worked for the county and i thought we were getting some money back but the SSA rep said no because something about GPO vs WEP. i don't understand why they make everything so complicated!!!

Didn't the full repeal of WEP and GPO pass Congress? I thought I read that somewhere... now I'm confused because everyone is saying only WEP changed. Can someone clarify what actually passed and what didn't?

Thank you all for the clarification. It's disappointing to hear that GPO wasn't addressed in these changes. My husband worked for 31 years as a teacher while I worked in retail and paid into Social Security. Now I lose most of my spousal benefits because of his pension, even though I paid into the system myself. I'll try contacting my representative to ask about future legislation addressing GPO. It seems many of us are in similar situations.