Personal Finance
What’s next for the Social Security Fairness Act
Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty Images
As Congress scrambles to avoid a government shutdown, the Senate is also poised to consider another bill that would increase Social Security benefits for some public workers.
But the bill, the Social Security Fairness Act, may undergo changes if some Senators’ efforts to add amendments are successful.
Per the original proposal, the Social Security Fairness Act calls for eliminating Social Security provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, and Government Pension Offset, or GPO, that have been in place for decades.
The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension or disability benefits from employment where they did not pay Social Security payroll taxes. The GPO reduces Social Security for spouses, widows and widowers who also receive their own government pension income. Together, the provisions affect an estimated 3 million individuals.
The bill has enthusiastic support from organizations representing teachers, firefighters, police and other government workers who are affected by the benefit reductions.
“You shouldn’t penalize people for income outside of a system when you’ve paid into it and earn that benefit,” said John Hatton, vice president of policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. “It’s been 40 years trying to get this repealed.”
The bill has received overwhelming bipartisan support. The Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the House with a 327 majority in November.
Preliminary Senate votes this week have also shown a strong bipartisan support for moving the proposal forward. On Wednesday, the chamber voted with a 73 majority on a cloture for the motion to proceed. That was followed by a Thursday vote on a motion to proceed that also drew a 73-vote majority.
Experts say the Senate may soon hold a final vote. It could proceed in one of two ways — with amendments that alter the terms of the original bill or with a final vote without any changes.
Amendments may include raising the retirement age
The Social Security Fairness Act would cost an estimated $196 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Those additional costs come as the trust funds Social Security relies on to help pay benefits already face looming depletion dates. Social Security’s trustees have projected the program’s trust fund used to pay retirement benefits may be depleted in nine years, when just 79% of benefits may be payable.
Some senators who oppose the Social Security Fairness Act have expressed concerns about the pressures the additional costs would put on the program.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, who this week voted against moving the current version of the bill forward in the Senate, said this week he plans to propose an amendment to offset those costs by gradually raising the retirement age to 70 while also adjusting for life expectancy. Social Security’s full retirement age — when beneficiaries receive 100% of the benefits they’ve earned — is currently age 67 for individuals born in 1960 or later.
“It is absurd to entertain a proposal that would make Social Security both less fair and financially weaker,” Paul said in a statement. “To undo the damage made by this legislation, my amendment to gradually raise the retirement age to reflect current life expectancies will strengthen Social Security by providing almost $400 billion in savings.”
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As of Friday morning, a total of six amendments to the bill had been introduced, according to Emerson Sprick, associate director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Some amendments call for replacing the full repeal of the WEP and GPO provisions with other changes.
One amendment from Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Joe Manchin, I-West Virginia, would instead put in place a more proportional formula to calculate benefits for affected individuals. That change, inspired by Texas Republican Rep. Jodey Arrington’s Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act, has a lot of support from policy experts and the Bipartisan Policy Center, Sprick said.
Social Security advocacy groups have pushed for larger comprehensive Social Security reform that would use tax increases to pay for making benefits more generous.
“We want to help in making this happen, but our preference was for it to be part of a much larger Social Security reform,” said Dan Adcock, director of government relations and policy at the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
To be sure, if amendments are successfully added to the bill, it would have to go back to the House.
“We’re hoping that that doesn’t come to that, because that could complicate matters, depending on the timing of how what’s going on with the [continuing resolution]” to avoid a government shutdown, Adcock said.
Senate may proceed to final vote on original bill
Much of what happens next rests on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, who could decide unilaterally not to allow amendments to be considered, according to Sprick.
Alternatively, Schumer could decide to allow for amendments in exchange for limiting the length of time spent on consideration of the bill, he said.
However, Sprick said he doubts Schumer will allow amendments at this point.
“The most likely scenario at this point is that Senator Schumer just runs out the clock, doesn’t allow consideration of any amendments, and they take a final vote either very late tonight or early tomorrow,” Sprick said.
While opponents of the bill may delay a vote, they won’t be able to stop a vote, Hatton said. Moreover, there’s reason to believe the leaders who have voted to advance the bill this week will also vote for it if and when it is put up for a final vote, he said.
“I’m still optimistic that this passes, and it’s more just a matter of when, not if,” Hatton said.
A sign for the U.S. Social Security Administration is seen outside its headquarters in Woodlawn, Md., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
New anti-fraud protections are slated to go into effect on Monday at the Social Security Administration.
Ahead of the new policy, an agency spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that all claim types can still be completed over the telephone, including retirement, survivor and spousal or children’s benefits. Previously, the SSA said those applicants would need to visit an agency office in person for identity proofing.
Individuals making other benefit claims — including for Social Security disability insurance, Medicare and Supplemental Security Income — can also complete their claims entirely over the telephone, which is in line with the agency’s previous guidance, according to the spokesperson.
The Social Security Administration’s update did not mention changes to direct deposit information, which it had previously said would now require in-office visits.
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The agency’s new anti-fraud efforts come as new leadership under the Trump administration’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is broadly seeking to curb waste, fraud and abuse across federal government agencies.
The SSA is implementing the new anti-fraud procedures, including stricter identity verification, as the agency faces website outages and long wait times on its 800 number, potentially forcing more people to visit offices for assistance.
Social Security experts and advocates have raised concerns that the new policies may make accessing benefits more difficult for vulnerable populations, particularly seniors and people with disabilities.
However, the Social Security Administration’s update is a positive development, said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP. He did add that it would be more ideal if the policy and timeline were reconsidered for better outcomes.
“This seems like a pretty good and encouraging signal that they’re listening to folks, that they’re that they’re open to pivoting and reconsidering how to roll these things out and looking at new ideas for how to implement it,” Sweeney said.
Some beneficiaries will still need to visit offices
As the Social Security Administration starts to perform anti-fraud checks over the phone, some claims will be flagged for fraud risks, according to the agency.
Those claimants who are flagged will be required to visit a Social Security Administration office in person for their claim to be processed.
The agency estimates that about 70,000 claimants may be flagged out of 4.5 million telephone claims per year.
Benefit applicants who are not flagged will be able to complete their claims completely over the telephone.
“Telephone remains a viable option to the public,” the Social Security Administration posted on X on Tuesday.
Prior to the Social Security Administration’s update that expands the claim types that can be completed over the phone, the agency had reportedly estimated about 75,000 to 85,000 more people per week may visit its offices in-person.
Online applications may be difficult for many seniors and individuals with disabilities, who may lack access to the necessary resources or know how to navigate the processes, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute.
More than 10% of seniors in 35 states would need to travel more than 45 miles to get to the closest Social Security office, according to a new analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
About 6 million seniors don’t drive, while almost 8 million older Americans have a medical condition or disability that makes it difficult for them to travel, according to the research from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Many beneficiaries already face obstacles getting through to the Social Security’s phone lines to make an in-person appointment and then need to drive to a field office, said Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Generally, individuals need to call for an appointment, though the agency does urge beneficiaries to first try seeking help online.
‘Fear and concern among many older Americans’
Both experts and advocates take issue with the tight timeline under which the policy changes are being implemented.
“If you’re asking seniors and other SSA customers to do something different, you need to provide enough time for them to understand what it is they need to do,” Romig said.
The AARP sent a letter on Monday to Social Security Administration acting commissioner Lee Dudek urging the agency to “halt changes to phone services,” which will “only exacerbate the ongoing customer service crisis,” wrote Nancy LeaMond, chief advocacy and engagement officer.
Instead, the new policy changes should be done more deliberately, with public input, a clear communication strategy and reasonable timeline, the AARP explained in the letter.
The changes set to go into effect on Monday come as Social Security’s website has recently repeatedly crashed, phone service hold times have increased and in some cases disconnected callers, while field offices also have long in-person waits, LeaMond said in the letter.
“This chaotic environment is fueling fear and concern among many older Americans,” LeaMond wrote.
The federal tax deadline is less than one week away — and there’s still time to collect a pandemic-era IRS stimulus check. It’s your final chance to do so.
If you’re unsure if you received the money, there’s a simple way to check via your IRS account online, tax experts say.
The 2021 stimulus payments were worth up to $1,400 per individual, or $2,800 per married couple. A family of four could receive up to $5,600 with two eligible dependents.
Filers who never received the funds could claim the recovery rebate credit on their 2021 federal return. The last chance for that credit is the 2024 tax deadline on April 15, according to the IRS.
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You’re eligible for the full recovery rebate credit with up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income as a single filer or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly for 2021.
The phaseout begins with earnings above that and eligibility falls to zero once adjusted gross income reaches $80,000 for single filers or $160,000 for married couples filing together.
The ‘best place to look’ for stimulus checks
The IRS in December unveiled plans to send “special payments” to 1 million taxpayers who didn’t claim the 2021 recovery rebate credit on tax returns for that year.
Most payments should have arrived via direct deposit or mailed paper check by late January 2025, according to the agency.
You can create a login for your IRS online account to check the status of your economic impact payments, including the 2021 stimulus check.
“That’s the best place to look,” said Tommy Lucas, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo in Orlando, Florida.
After logging into your account, you can find stimulus check information in the “tax records” section under the “records and status” toolbar.
You can also check the “tax records” section to see if you filed a return for 2021. While some taxpayers don’t earn enough to have a filing requirement, you must submit your 2021 return to claim the recovery rebate credit for your stimulus payment, Lucas explained.
File your 2021 return if ‘there’s any doubt’
In some cases, online accounts show the IRS issued stimulus checks, but filers say they never received the money, said Syracuse University law professor Robert Nassau, director of the school’s low-income tax clinic.
“If there’s any doubt” about your payment, it’s better to file your 2021 return and claim the recovery rebate credit before April 15, he said. Otherwise, you could miss the deadline and lose your chance to collect the money, Nassau added.
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