Social Security · For educators
WEP and GPO Repealed: What It Means for Teachers
The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) were repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025. Most teachers who had their Social Security reduced now receive their full benefit alongside their pension. The change is retroactive to January 2024, and the Social Security Administration began paying higher amounts and back payments in 2025.
What actually changed
For decades, two rules reduced Social Security for many public educators. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) cut the worker's own Social Security benefit if they also received a pension from a job that did not pay into Social Security, which describes teaching in roughly 15 states. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduced, and often eliminated, the spousal and survivor Social Security benefits of those same educators.
The Social Security Fairness Act eliminated both. If you are a teacher in a non-covered state who paid into Social Security through other work, or whose spouse did, your benefit is no longer cut by these formulas. The Social Security Administration has been adjusting monthly payments and issuing one-time retroactive payments for the period back to January 2024.
Who this affects
WEP and GPO mostly hit educators in states where teachers do not pay into Social Security on their teaching wages. If you taught in one of these states, you were among the most likely to be affected:
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Georgia (some)
- Illinois
- Kentucky (some)
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Texas
Coverage varies by district and by when you were hired, so the only way to know your exact situation is to check your own Social Security earnings record.
What to do now
If you already receive Social Security: in most cases you do not need to do anything, as long as the Social Security Administration has your current mailing address and direct-deposit details. Higher payments and back payments are processed automatically.
If you never applied because WEP or GPO would have wiped out your benefit, it may now be worth filing, since the reduction is gone. If you are still working, the repeal changes your retirement math: your projected Social Security is likely higher than older estimates that assumed a WEP cut. It is a good moment to re-run your full retirement picture.
Use our free Teacher Retirement Calculator to see your pension, 403(b)/457(b), and Social Security together, now that the WEP reduction is gone.
Not sure how the repeal changes your retirement?
A licensed educator-retirement specialist can review how your new, un-reduced Social Security fits with your pension and savings, and whether an old 403(b) or 401(k) should be part of the plan. Free, no obligation.
Talk to a specialist, freeFrequently asked questions
Were WEP and GPO actually repealed?
Yes. The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025, and it repealed both the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. The change applies to benefits payable beginning January 2024, so it is retroactive.
Will my Social Security check go up?
If your benefit had been reduced by WEP or GPO, yes. The Social Security Administration began paying higher monthly amounts plus one-time retroactive payments to affected people in 2025. The size of the increase depends on your own earnings record and pension, so amounts vary widely.
Do I have to do anything to get the increase?
Usually not, as long as the Social Security Administration has your current address and direct-deposit information. If you never applied for Social Security because the offsets would have eliminated your benefit, you may now want to apply.
I am still teaching. How does this change my planning?
Your projected Social Security is probably higher than older estimates that assumed a WEP reduction. That can change how much you need from your 403(b) or 457(b). Re-running your full retirement picture, including any old accounts from prior jobs, is the practical next step.
Sources
- Social Security Administration, Social Security Fairness Act (effective date, retroactivity, and payment timing).
- U.S. Congress, H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (the law that repealed WEP and GPO).
- Social Security Administration, my Social Security (check your own earnings record and benefit estimate).
Reviewed by the Life Gateway advisory team · licensed retirement specialists for K-12 educators · Last reviewed June 2026.
This page is educational information, not financial, tax, or legal advice, and it is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration. Figures and effective dates reflect the Social Security Fairness Act as understood at the last-reviewed date above. Confirm your specific benefit and any back payment with the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov.