Rep. Courtney Applauds Enactment of Social Security Fairness Act

NORWICH, CT – Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) applauded President Biden for signing H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, into law. The bill restores full Social Security benefits for public servants by repealing two provisions of current law – the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – that unfairly reduce the Social Security benefits that public employees receive.

In Connecticut, repealing the WEP will affect over 22,000 Social Security beneficiaries and repealing the GPO will affect nearly 10,000 Social Security beneficiaries, according to reports from the Congressional Research Service.

“President Biden’s signature on the Social Security Fairness Act – a reform I have championed since my first term in Congress – is a triumph for the grassroots advocacy of millions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who will now be able to collect benefits they paid for in other occupations. It is a reminder that Social Security is an earned benefit– not an entitlement,” said Courtney.  

The bill first passed the House on November 12, 2024, followed by the Senate on December 23, 2024.

The legislation is retroactive for Social Security payments starting in January 2024, according to the text of the bill. That means eligible recipients who previously only received partial benefits will get a full payment retroactive to a year ago.

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