If a $6,000 deposit recently landed in your bank account out of nowhere, you’re not alone.
While the Trump administration has stirred worries about potential cuts to Social Security, at least 3.2 million Americans are set to receive an increase in their benefits thanks to a rule finalized during the Biden years.
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On January 5th, President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed two statutes that reduced benefit payments to many public sector workers, including teachers and firefighters.
As of March 4th, more than 1.1 million Americans have already received retroactive payments, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). So far, the average payment is $6,710.
However, not everyone on Social Security can expect such a huge bump in benefits, and the lack of awareness about this new rule has left some room for potential scams. Here’s what you need to know.
Eligibility and potential scams
Although many former government employees are set to benefit from this new rule, not everyone in the public sector is covered. The SSA clarified that “only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see benefit increases.”
According to the SSA, 72% of the state and local public sector workforce is ineligible because their payments were not covered by the two statutes that were repealed — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
To check your eligibility and see if you have a retroactive payment due, you could reach out to the SSA directly on its national 1-800 number. You can likely expect a long wait time as the agency has cut roughly 7,000 jobs and reportedly has plans to cut thousands more.
You could also reach out to your accountant or financial advisor to learn more about how this new rule impacts you. However, do not seek assistance from anyone who calls and claims to be from the SSA. The agency has warned about “bad actors” who could take advantage of the rule change.
“SSA will never ask or require a person to pay either for assistance or to have their benefits started, increased, or paid retroactively,” says the SSA website. “Hang up and do not click or respond to anyone offering to increase or expedite benefits.”
Even if you’re ineligible for this payout or not yet retired, monitoring changes to this program is crucial for your financial planning and security.
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Monitoring changes with Social Security
The national welfare system is facing significant challenges in the years ahead. According to a recent report by the SSA Board of Trustees, the trust fund from which benefits are paid is expected to be depleted by 2035.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Bloomberg News, Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek threatened to cease operations if Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) wasn’t given access to sensitive data at the agency. The commissioner walked back his threat after a federal judge offered clarifications on a recent ruling.
Put simply, these are interesting times for the SSA. Taxpayers who expect some benefits in the future should set up a my Social Security account to track their personal information, monitor reputable sites such as AARP or The National Institute on Retirement Security for the latest updates, and speak to a financial advisor to plan for any changes to the system in the years ahead.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
