Senate Passes Social Security Fairness Act in 85-11 Vote, Repealing WEP and GPO

Dec 21, 2024, 07:56 AM

Early Saturday, the US Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) in a bipartisan vote of 85-11, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature. The bill aims to boost Social Security benefits for over 2 million public service retirees, including teachers, firefighters, police officers, and postal workers, by repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions had reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who also received government pensions or disability payments. The legislation, introduced in every Congress since 2001, has been a longtime priority for former public employees who have waited decades for this moment. The bill was passed in one of Congress's last acts for the year. Approximately 130,000 public servants in Massachusetts will benefit from this change.