Social Security says higher payments are on the way for millions of former public workers
1 month ago

Social Security says higher payments are on the way for millions of former public workers

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — More than 3.2 million Social Security recipients who received pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public service jobs will soon see a boost in their benefits. The Social Security Administration announced it would immediately begin processing retroactive payments and will send increased monthly payments to people affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, which were rescinded in the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act that former President Joe Biden signed into law last year. The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset limited Social Security benefits for recipients if they got retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government. “Social Security’s aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible,” said Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security in a statement. The Congressional Research Service estimated that in December 2023, there were 745,679 people, about 1% of all Social Security beneficiaries, who had their benefits reduced by the Government Pension Offset.

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History of this topic

Social Security overpayments: When will they begin and who will be impacted?
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Social Security overpayments: When will they begin and who will be impacted?

Hindustan Times  

In a significant policy shift, the Social Security Administration announced it will begin withholding 100% of Social Security payments starting on March 27, 2025, to recover overpayments made to beneficiaries. A Return to a Prior Practice In 2024, the SSA implemented a 10% default withholding rate after several beneficiaries received letters requesting immediate repayments for overpayments that sometimes amounted to …

They've just signed Social Security's death warrant — are you ready?
2 weeks, 1 day ago

They've just signed Social Security's death warrant — are you ready?

Raw Story  

Tuesday night, Donald Trump stood before the nation and, with the full backing of billionaires like Elon Musk, laid the groundwork for the biggest heist in American history — the rapid, systematic destruction of Social Security, disguised as “reform.” We saw the formal announcement of it during Trump’s State of the Union address, and the DOGE announcement earlier in the …

Hiltzik: Social Security is in Trump's crosshairs
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Hiltzik: Social Security is in Trump's crosshairs

LA Times  

Perhaps the most frequently cited quote from Donald Trump relevant to his purported efforts to root out government waste has been “we’re not touching Social Security,” or variations thereof. Its press release about the reduction referred to the program’s “bloated workforce.” To anyone who knows anything about the Social Security Administration, calling its workforce “bloated” sounds like a sick joke. …

Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts
1 month ago

Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump and Elon Musk are ramping up baseless claims …

Social Security head steps down over DOGE access of recipient information: Sources
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Social Security head steps down over DOGE access of recipient information: Sources

Deccan Chronicle  

Washington: The Social Security Administration's acting commissioner has stepped down from her role at the agency over Department of Government Efficiency requests to access Social Security recipient information, according to two people familiar with the official's departure who were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields released a statement Monday night saying: "President Trump has …

What you need to know about Social Security changes
1 month, 3 weeks ago

What you need to know about Social Security changes

Salon  

Millions of retired Americans are set to benefit from the Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on Jan. 5. With the Social Security Fairness Act, over 2.1 million retirees are expected to receive an additional $360 extra per month, on average. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Insolvency concerns Though the …

Elderly and cash-strapped, a couple consider a proposal to sell their home to neighbors
2 months, 1 week ago

Elderly and cash-strapped, a couple consider a proposal to sell their home to neighbors

LA Times  

Questions and possible problems arise when an elderly, cash-strapped couple consider a proposal to sell their house to neighbors. Many older people with highly appreciated properties don’t want to sell their homes and trigger taxable gains in excess of the $250,000-per-owner home sale exclusion. Dear Liz: I was previously denied a portion of my husband’s Social Security because I received …

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people

Daily Mail  

A bill signed by President Joe Biden on Sunday will soon bring higher social security payments to millions. Before the bill, firefighters, police officers, nurses and other public sector workers had their benefits reduced if they also received a pension not covered by Social Security. The annual Social Security bill, which includes retirement, Medicare and disability benefits for 72.5 million …

Biden signs 'first Social Security expansion in decades'​ as GOP eyes cuts
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Biden signs 'first Social Security expansion in decades'​ as GOP eyes cuts

Raw Story  

Joe Biden on Sunday became the first president in more than two decades to sign a measure that expands Social Security benefits, a move that came as congressional Republicans and an Elon Musk-led advisory commission weigh possible cuts to the nation's most effective antipoverty program. "For years the government has taken away Social Security benefits from millions of retired federal, …

Your social security payment is set to go up thanks to Biden. Here’s why
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Your social security payment is set to go up thanks to Biden. Here’s why

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Joe Biden has signed into law a measure that will …

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed

LA Times  

President Biden departs the East Room of the White House after signing the Social Security Fairness Act on Sunday. The bill rescinds two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for recipients if they get retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government. …

Millions of public workers are set to get higher Social Security benefits. Here's why
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Millions of public workers are set to get higher Social Security benefits. Here's why

NPR  

Millions of public workers are set to get higher Social Security benefits. The Windfall Elimination Provision trimmed benefits for public employees who received pensions not covered by Social Security payroll taxes. The Government Pension Offset cut Social Security spousal or widow benefits for those who also received public pensions not covered by Social Security. The changes come at a critical …

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Sunday signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs. The bill rescinds two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset …

Millions to Get Bigger Social Security Checks If Biden Signs New Bill
3 months ago

Millions to Get Bigger Social Security Checks If Biden Signs New Bill

Live Mint  

Millions of Americans may see their Social Security benefits increase under a bill headed to President Joe Biden’s desk — though critics warn that the measure comes at the cost of pushing the fund further toward insolvency. If signed by the president before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, the law would boost Social Security payments to more than …

US Senate passes Social Security benefits boost for many public service retirees
3 months ago

US Senate passes Social Security benefits boost for many public service retirees

Hindustan Times  

The Senate passed legislation early Saturday to boost Social Security payments for millions of people, pushing a longtime priority for former public employees through Congress in one of its last acts for the year. The bill repeals two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for certain recipients if they …

Senate passes Social Security benefits boost for many public service retirees
3 months ago

Senate passes Social Security benefits boost for many public service retirees

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation early Saturday to boost Social Security payments for millions of people, pushing a longtime priority for former public employees through Congress in one of its last acts for the year. The bipartisan bill, which next heads to President Joe Biden, will eliminate longtime reductions to Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million people who …

Millions of people may get expanded Social Security benefits
3 months ago

Millions of people may get expanded Social Security benefits

LA Times  

Nearly 3 million people could receive a boost in Social Security payments under legislation set for a final Senate vote in the coming days. The bill would repeal two provisions that limit Social Security benefits for certain recipients based on retirement payments they get from other sources — most often, but not exclusively, a public retirement program of a state …

Letters to the Editor: Righting a Social Security wrong — but for how long?
3 months, 1 week ago

Letters to the Editor: Righting a Social Security wrong — but for how long?

LA Times  

If the Senate passes a new law and President Biden signs it, some people doing without Social Security benefits would receive them. To the editor: If the U.S. Senate votes to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, it will be righting an egregious wrong inflicted on millions of hard-working people for way too long. We all know that the Social …

Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
3 months, 1 week ago

Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people

LA Times  

The Social Security Fairness Act needs support from at least 60 senators to pass Congress. The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people, setting up potential passage in the final days of the lame-duck Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday he would begin the process for …

Here's what happens when the world's richest man buys the presidency
3 months, 1 week ago

Here's what happens when the world's richest man buys the presidency

Raw Story  

In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt created Social Security, an insurance contract between Americans and the federal government that pays out on certain life events. Trump’s GOP will be making “hard” choices, meaning they will be cutting benefits, in order to fund tax cuts for wealthy donors. Musk and Ramaswamy went to Capitol Hill last week to talk up their plans …

Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
3 months, 1 week ago

Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people, setting up potential passage in the final days of the lame-duck Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday he would begin the process for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness …

Trump promised he won't cut Social Security. Should you trust him?
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Trump promised he won't cut Social Security. Should you trust him?

LA Times  

Hello and happy Tuesday. “We know that the Social Security trust fund is going to run out of money, and that means something has to happen,” said Alan Auerbach, a professor of economics and law at UC Berkeley. Digging a deeper hole Despite that chilling reality, Trump’s only detailed plan on Social Security so far is one that would put …

Letters to the Editor: Social Security can be fixed easily, but it would upset the rich
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: Social Security can be fixed easily, but it would upset the rich

LA Times  

To the editor: The final votes from the 2024 election have barely been tallied, the inauguration is more than a month away, and President-elect Donald Trump’s close allies are already going after Social Security. This is how to fix Social Security’s insolvency problem: Everyone should pay the tax on all their income — no loopholes for the rich. Sen. Mike …

What to know about the congressional push to expand some Social Security benefits
4 months, 1 week ago

What to know about the congressional push to expand some Social Security benefits

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The House has passed legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people, pushing it one step closer to becoming law. Decades in the making, the bill would repeal two federal policies — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people, according …

What is Social Security Fairness Act? Who voted for and against it, road ahead
4 months, 1 week ago

What is Social Security Fairness Act? Who voted for and against it, road ahead

Live Mint  

The US House of Representatives on November 12 passed the Social Security Fairness Act by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 327 to 75. The bill seeks to eliminate two long-standing provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for state and local government employees, including police officers, firefighters, teachers, …

Experts: Analysis shows Trump proposal would "dramatically worsen Social Security’s finances"
5 months ago

Experts: Analysis shows Trump proposal would "dramatically worsen Social Security’s finances"

Salon  

Social Security funds could run out in the next six years if former President Donald Trump wins in November, according to a new report from the bipartisan group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Trump’s policies would add over $2.3 trillion to Social Security’s deficit between 2026 and 2033 and — and cause a 33% cut to benefits in 2035, …

Congress has just over a decade to fix Social Security before cash runs out
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Congress has just over a decade to fix Social Security before cash runs out

Daily Mail  

Social Security is expected to run short on funds by 2035, according to a new report. Social Security relies on its trust funds to provide monthly benefit checks to around 70 million Americans. While Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, said this was 'good news' for beneficiaries, he urged Congress to take steps to 'extend the financial health of the …

Congress has less than a decade to fix Social Security before it runs short of cash
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Congress has less than a decade to fix Social Security before it runs short of cash

NPR  

Congress has less than a decade to fix Social Security before it runs short of cash Social Security benefits are facing an automatic cut in less than 10 years unless changes are adopted. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: We hear this from time to time, an assertion that Congress has only a few years to fix Social Security. With tens of millions …

Column: Social Security is again in the crosshairs of a GOP budget, even though a long-term fix would be simple
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Column: Social Security is again in the crosshairs of a GOP budget, even though a long-term fix would be simple

LA Times  

House Speaker Mike Johnson : His caucus makes no secret about what it intends to do with government services, and it’s not pretty. That brings us to the Republican Study Committee’s prescriptions for Social Security and the other major benefit programs, Medicare and Medicaid. The committee members grouse about how Social Security has expanded since it was originally signed into …

Here’s a 2024 resolution: Stop using paper checks. Fraud is soaring
1 year, 2 months ago

Here’s a 2024 resolution: Stop using paper checks. Fraud is soaring

LA Times  

Check fraud tied to mail theft is up nationwide, and thieves who can access your checks can change the amount and ferret those funds right out of your bank account. People who get pensions from jobs that didn’t pay into Social Security may be subject to two provisions, the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset. Typically, the Social …

Column: An exhaustive debunking of the dumbest myths about Social Security
1 year, 4 months ago

Column: An exhaustive debunking of the dumbest myths about Social Security

LA Times  

Myths and canards about Social Security and its supposed fiscal troubles have steadily proliferated over the years. Slate paired Eric Boehm, a writer for the conservative magazine Reason, with a writer named Celeste Headlee for a dialogue titled “Social Security Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore.” The roughly 2,000-word piece contained so many misconceptions, inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and flat-out lies about the program …

Social Security Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore
1 year, 4 months ago

Social Security Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore

Slate  

This week, Congress approved a temporary government funding package, once again averting a potential shutdown, at least until next year. And unlike in the 1940s, these days, you’ve got retirees that are generally wealthier than the people who are funding their retirements through Social Security. It’s a question that nobody’s really asking in Congress, because we silo off Social Security …

Social Security benefits will increase by 3.2% in 2024 as inflation moderates
1 year, 5 months ago

Social Security benefits will increase by 3.2% in 2024 as inflation moderates

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, far less than this year’s historic boost and reflecting moderating consumer prices. “Compared to last year’s 8.7% increase, this is going to feel small and the perception is that its not keeping up with the inflation and the higher costs that retirees are …

Social Security benefits will increase by 3.2% in 2024
1 year, 5 months ago

Social Security benefits will increase by 3.2% in 2024

LA Times  

Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, far less than this year’s historic boost and reflecting moderating consumer prices. “This will help millions of people keep up with expenses,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, Social Security’s acting commissioner. “Retirees can rest a little easier at night knowing they will soon receive an increase in …

The real reason Social Security is in danger that nobody’s talking about
1 year, 8 months ago

The real reason Social Security is in danger that nobody’s talking about

Raw Story  

It’s not just because too many boomers like me are retiring. Social Security is one of the most popular and successful government programs ever created, not only helping retirees — but it’s also keeping 26 million people out of poverty. A big part of the American working population today is earning less than the Social Security trustees anticipated years ago …

Column: Social Security is perfectly healthy, but there’s one easy way to improve it
1 year, 11 months ago

Column: Social Security is perfectly healthy, but there’s one easy way to improve it

LA Times  

’Tis the season for hand-wringing over the fiscal condition of Social Security. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is an offspring of the late private equity billionaire and Social Security foe Peter G. Peterson, declared in the wake of the trustees’ report that “Social Security is 11 years from insolvency.” The annual report lent urgency to a raft …

Column: GOP promises to gut your Social Security, Medicare if it takes power
2 years, 5 months ago

Column: GOP promises to gut your Social Security, Medicare if it takes power

LA Times  

It used to be a truism that no elected officeholders would dare to tamper with Social Security if they wished to keep their jobs. In its latest manifestation, four Republicans angling to become chair of the House Budget Committee in a Republican House talked openly about holding the federal debt ceiling hostage to an agreement on “entitlements” — that is, …

8.7% hike to Social Security checks won't cut it, some fear
2 years, 5 months ago

8.7% hike to Social Security checks won't cut it, some fear

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I’ll do my best, I grew up during the …

Social Security benefits to jump by 8.7% next year
2 years, 5 months ago

Social Security benefits to jump by 8.7% next year

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Millions of Social Security recipients will get an 8.7% boost in their benefits in 2023, a historic increase but a gain that will be eaten up in part by the rising cost of everyday living. “This year’s substantial Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is the first time in over a decade that Medicare premiums are not rising and shows …

Social Security benefits to rise by 8.7% in 2023, the biggest boost in decades
2 years, 5 months ago

Social Security benefits to rise by 8.7% in 2023, the biggest boost in decades

LA Times  

Millions of Social Security recipients will learn Thursday how big a boost they’ll get in their benefits next year. “This year’s substantial Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is the first time in over a decade that Medicare premiums are not rising and shows that we can provide more support to older Americans who count on the benefits they have earned,” Social …

EXPLAINER: A huge jump in Social Security payments is coming
2 years, 5 months ago

EXPLAINER: A huge jump in Social Security payments is coming

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On Thursday, the U.S. government is set to announce …

Column: Social Security trustees say the U.S. is rich enough to expand, not shrink, benefits
2 years, 9 months ago

Column: Social Security trustees say the U.S. is rich enough to expand, not shrink, benefits

LA Times  

After passing a huge tax cut for the rich, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell blamed Social Security and Medicare for the federal deficit. In 2018, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, identified “entitlements” — that’s Washington-speak for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — as “the real drivers of the debt” and called for them to be adjusted “to the demographics of …

There's a reason we never talk about the government's massive bias
3 years, 4 months ago

There's a reason we never talk about the government's massive bias

Raw Story  

There's a deeper battle happening in Washington than the ones we usually hear about. That's why we created Social Security and Medicare, and they worked like gangbusters: over the last five decades, the poverty rate among seniors has dropped by two-thirds. Today, seniors have the lowest poverty of any age group in America, the greatest wealth and the most home …

Social Security checks getting big boost as inflation rises
3 years, 5 months ago

Social Security checks getting big boost as inflation rises

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Millions of retirees on Social Security will get a 5.9% boost in benefits for 2022. “You never want to minimize the importance of the COLA,” said retirement policy expert Charles Blahous, a former public trustee helping to oversee Social Security and Medicare finances. We are talking the necessities of living in many cases.” This year’s Social Security trustees …

COVID recession pushed Social Security insolvency up a year
3 years, 6 months ago

COVID recession pushed Social Security insolvency up a year

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The sharp shock of the coronavirus recession pushed Social Security a year closer to insolvency but left Medicare’s exhaustion date unchanged, the government reported Tuesday in a counterintuitive assessment that deepens the uncertainty around the nation’s bedrock retirement programs. The new projections in the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees reports indicate that Social Security’s massive trust fund …

Column: Republicans seek to exploit COVID-19 crisis to cut Social Security benefits
4 years, 10 months ago

Column: Republicans seek to exploit COVID-19 crisis to cut Social Security benefits

LA Times  

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is fretting about the federal deficit, now that billions are going to working people in coronavirus aid, rather than to the wealthy via a tax cut. The Post reports that they’re “exploring” a proposal put forth by two conservatives allowing workers to receive up to $10,000 today, but paying the money back by deferring their …

Social Security and Medicare funds at risk even before virus
4 years, 11 months ago

Social Security and Medicare funds at risk even before virus

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The financial condition of the government’s two biggest benefit programs remains shaky, with Medicare expected to become insolvent in just six years, while Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2035, the government said Wednesday. In a statement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who chairs the trustees’ group, said that the Trump administration was “working …

Democrats Have A Big Plan To Fix Social Security. They Might Even Vote On It.
5 years, 6 months ago

Democrats Have A Big Plan To Fix Social Security. They Might Even Vote On It.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON ― For the first time in recent memory, a bill to expand Social Security benefits and close the program’s long-term funding gap looks like it could pass the House of Representatives. And sometime this month, Democratic Connecticut Rep. John Larson’s Social Security 2100 Act may get a hearing before the full House Ways and Means Committee. …

Column: Elizabeth Warren offers a Social Security reform plan that checks a lot of boxes
5 years, 6 months ago

Column: Elizabeth Warren offers a Social Security reform plan that checks a lot of boxes

LA Times  

Congressional progressives lately have been putting forth Social Security reform plans that shore up the system’s finances while improving benefits. Warren told me by email, “63 million Americans rely on monthly Social Security benefits, but current benefits are too small for millions of them to support a decent retirement.” Her $200 monthly increase would “address the current retirement crunch — …

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