Public Sector Retirees in Maine Receiving Retroactive Benefits Thanks to Social Security Fairness Act

PHOTO:Dan & Penny Whitney Asdourian.

The Social Security Administration has begun paying retroactive benefits and will begin paying increased monthly benefit payments in April to people who were affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) thanks to the recently enacted the Social Security Fairness Act.

Social Security benefits are paid one month behind, so most affected beneficiaries will begin receiving their new monthly benefit amount in April (for their March 2025 benefit). The agency has expedited payments through automation but cautioned that complex cases cannot be processed automatically and will require additional time.

Affected beneficiaries are urged to wait until April to inquire about the status of their retroactive payment since these payments will be processed incrementally throughout March. For more information, please visit SSA’s Social Security Fairness Act web page.

Maine was one 15 states where state employees have been unfairly penalized by the GPO and WEP and one of 26 states where county and municipal retirees are affected by the offsets. Under the Social Security Fairness Act, beneficiaries who are owed retroactive benefits are receiving a one-time retroactive payment. This payment will date back to January 2024, the month when WEP and GPO no longer applied.

Penny Whitney Asdourian, a retired judicial branch employee and Co-Chair of the Maine Service Employees Association’s Retiree Steering Committee, said that she and her husband Dan, a retired Portland firefighter (IAFF 740), have just received their retro payments. She said, she has been hearing stories from retirees about what these payments have meant to them, such as a elderly widow retired from the Department of Labor.

“She has been struggling financially and has had her house set at 62 degrees because she can’t afford it,” said Asdourian. “She got her retro payment of over $33,000 because she’s eligible for surviving spouse benefits due to the removal of the GPO. That truly has made a difference and that’s why we do this.”

She said she is surprised how quickly the retroactive payments have gone out. Asdourian was part of a grassroots movement of retirees who organized online, contacted their elected representatives and lobbied Congress in Washington to pass the bipartisan law, which was supported by Maine’s Congressional delegation. Sen. Susan Collins (R - Maine) was a leader in the Congressional effort to pass this bill - organizing bipartisan support from her Republican colleagues. Subsequently, she has worked to ensure smooth and quick implementation of the law.