Bigger Social Security Checks Are Arriving in April
Payments to eligible retired public sector employees will increase starting in April due to the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA).


Retired public sector employees eligible for additional benefits due to the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) will finally see their monthly payments increase. If you received Social Security benefits after December 2023 and were impacted by the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and/or the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reductions, you are going to see more money starting in April.
The lump sum retroactive payments started going out the last week of February. Most people should receive their payment by the end of March. The money will arrive the same way you receive your monthly benefits, either deposited into the bank account the Social Security Administration (SSA) has on file or a check by mail to your last known address. This retroactive payment will cover the increase in your benefit amount from January 2024 through March 2025, back to the month when WEP and GPO no longer applied.
The SSA has asked beneficiaries to wait until after receiving their April payment before contacting it to ask about monthly benefit amounts since the new amount will not be reflected until April (for the March payment).

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
When are the bigger checks arriving?
Here is the payment schedule for April; find the day of the month you were born on the left side of the table. Then, look under each month for the specific payment date.
Birth date on | Payment date | |
---|---|---|
1st – 10th | Wednesday, April 9 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
11th – 20th | Wednesday, April 16 | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
21st – 31st | Wednesday, April 23 | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
The payment schedule is different for two groups of beneficiaries:
- If you received Social Security before May 1997, your SS benefits are paid on March 3
- if you receive both Social Security & SSI, SS benefits are paid on March 3 and SSI on March 1.
Lump sum retroactive payments
Retired public sector employees began receiving their back payments to reflect the retroactive application of the Social Security Fairness Act during the last week in February. As of March 4, the average retroactive payment received by 1,127,723 recipients was $6,710, with a total of $7.5 billion having been distributed.
These back payments cover what beneficiaries should have received in 2024 and the increase to monthly benefits for January and February in 2025.
Monthly increases for eligible beneficiaries will begin with their March payment (which arrives in April).
The SSA wants beneficiaries to wait until April to ask about the status of their retroactive payment, since these payments will be processed incrementally throughout March.
Complex cases will take longer
The SSFA required the SSA to adjust benefits for over 3 million people. Due to the retroactive application of the law to benefits received after December 2023, the SSA must adjust both past benefits as well as future benefits. SSA is helping most eligible beneficiaries now; as of March 14, 2025, the SSA has processed 75% or 2.2 million adjustments. The SSA expects that it could take up to a year to process manually the more complex cases.
Where to get help
If your lump sum hasn't arrived, you can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing and use TTY equipment, you can call the TTY number at 1-800-325-0778. Tell the representative you want to talk about your benefits and the Social Security Fairness Act or make an appointment to see someone at your local office.
The SSA is available by phone in most U.S. time zones Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter in the morning, toward the end of the week, and toward the end of the month, according to the SSA website.
Related Content
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.
-
Why Has the IPO Market Gone Cold?
Hopes were high that 2025 would see strong IPO activity, but the market has recently cooled. Here's why.
-
7 Investing Tips for College Grads
Getting a head start on investing can be intimidating for new college graduates, but doing so will pay dividends for their financial health down the road.
-
Americans to Trump: Help Us Save for Retirement
With a Social Security shortfall looming and many workers struggling to save for retirement, most Americans agree: It's time for the government to step in.
-
Five Estate Planning Steps From a Wealth Adviser to Protect Your Family
An estate plan that covers everything from guardianship to digital assets and taxes — and is discussed openly — will give you and your family peace of mind.
-
Why Does Talking About Money Still Feel So Taboo in 2025?
Financial issues affect everyone, yet many people are still afraid to talk about them. The good news is that younger generations are changing that.
-
Could a Golden Visa Be Your Ticket to Retiring Abroad?
Trump and DOGE are weighing a U.S. "Gold Card" that would let the wealthy emigrate to the U.S. for a fee. But golden visas have been around for years worldwide. Here's how they work.
-
Running Out of Money in Retirement: Nine Steps to Reduce the Risk
Quit worrying about money and enjoy a carefree retirement. Sounds good, right? Well, if you follow these nine steps from a financial adviser, you could be on your way to that goal.
-
I'm a Financial Planner: Here Are Five Lesser-Known Ways to Avoid Estate Tax
The clock is ticking on the estate and gift tax provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, so the sooner you act on removing assets from your estate, the better.
-
Struggling with How to Plan a Trip? These Companies Will Help
Travel Plans Sit back, relax and let the professionals handle the logistics.
-
The Best Places for LGBTQ People to Retire in the US
Though marriage equality and laws blocking employment discrimination are in effect across the land, some cities and states are havens for the LGBTQ community.