Will Social Security pay retroactive WEP/GPO benefits to deceased parent after HR 82 repeal?

First, I'm sorry for your loss. This is a situation many families are facing with the WEP/GPO repeal. SSA won't automatically process these retroactive payments - you'll need to contact them as the legal representative of your mother's estate. Bring your Letters Testamentary or similar document showing you're the executor, her death certificate, and any documentation about her government pension. They'll need to manually calculate what she was owed under the new rules.

My dad was in a similar situation but he passed in 2022. SSA told us that retroactive payments can only go to a qualified surviving spouse or to the estate. Since you're the executor you need to bring proof of that plus her death cert. They should cut a check to "Estate of [her name]" which you'll deposit into the estate account.

You definitely need to be proactive about this. The repeal of WEP/GPO doesn't automatically trigger reviews of deceased beneficiaries' records. You'll need to file SSA-1724 (Claim for Amounts Due in the Case of a Deceased Beneficiary) along with proof you're the estate representative. Be aware there's a lot of confusion at SSA offices about implementing the WEP/GPO repeal right now, so you might encounter staff who aren't fully informed on the process for deceased beneficiaries. Ask to speak with a Technical Expert if the front-line staff seems uncertain.

My mom died last year and was affected by WEP (not GPO). we've been waiting 4 months for ssa to process the back pay. they told us it would take longer for deceased ppl because they're prioritizing living beneficiaries first. just wanted to give u a heads up that its probably gonna take awhile.

If you're having trouble reaching SSA by phone (which is unfortunately common these days), I've had success using a service called Claimyr. They basically hold your place in the SSA phone queue and call you when an agent is about to answer. Saved me HOURS of hold time when I was dealing with my aunt's survivor benefits. You can see how it works at claimyr.com or watch a demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For something complex like retroactive WEP/GPO payments to an estate, you'll definitely want to speak with someone rather than trying to handle it online.

OK BUT NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT THE BIGGER ISSUE HERE!! The WEP/GPO repeal is ONLY paying retroactive to December 2023, even though people like your mom and my husband had their benefits unfairly reduced for DECADES!!! They should be paying back ALL the money they took from us all these years!!! The government stole from hardworking teachers and public servants and now they act like heroes for giving back ONE YEAR of benefits?!?! It's OUTRAGEOUS!!!

my neighbor works at SSA and says they're completely overwhelmed with the WEP/GPO stuff. said its chaos there and everyone's working overtime. might want to wait a month before even trying tbh

One other important thing to note - make sure you're clear about the exact timing. The WEP/GPO repeal technically applies to benefits payable January 2025 onward, with retroactive payments to December 2023. Since your mother passed in December 2024, she would be eligible for the retroactive payments from December 2023 through December 2024 - exactly 13 months of restored benefits. Bring documentation of her government pension and her SS benefits to help them calculate the correct amount. The difference between what she received and what she should have received without GPO for those 13 months is what the estate is entitled to.