A number of changes have been made to Social Security retirement benefits since January 2025, which will affect both current recipients and those who intend to retire in the years to come.
If lawmakers do not take immediate action, the Social Security system’s funds could run out in less than ten years, so these adjustments are essential to ensuring its sustainability.
Medicare premiums, payment adjustments, and the removal of two provisions that impacted government employees’ benefits—many of whom will see an increase in their monthly checks beginning this year—are all covered by these changes.
Repeal of WEP and GPO: justice for government workers receiving Social Security
The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), two clauses that have decreased Social Security benefits for millions of people for decades, were repealed by Congress in December 2024.
These policies, which primarily affected state and local government workers like teachers, police officers, and firefighters who did not make Social Security contributions as part of their public employment, are repealed by the new law known as the Social Security Fairness Act.
Enacted in 1983, the WEP reduced Social Security retirement benefits for people who also received a pension from non-system-covered employment by up to half.
The GPO, which was first implemented in 1977, decreased survivor or spousal benefits by as much as two-thirds in cases where the recipient was already receiving a government pension.
If you are among the benefited groups, the SSA should return a sizable portion of the money that was withheld from you because this repeal is retroactive and covers payments withheld by these provisions through 2024.
The agency has created a page on its website to offer updates while it assesses the procedures required to carry out the law.

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): Lowest in Four Years
A 2.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2025 was announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which reflects more controlled inflation than in prior years.
This percentage is lower than the historic 8.7% in 2023 and 3.2% in 2024. A more modest increase for beneficiaries will result from the $49 monthly increase in the average retirement benefit, which will rise from $1,927 to $1,946.
Despite being smaller, this adjustment is consistent with the historical COLA average, which has been roughly 2.6% since 2000. All Social Security benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and survivor, family, and disability benefits, are subject to the COLA.
Additionally, for those who qualify, the maximum Social Security benefit is set at $5,108 for those who retired at age 70 and $4,043 for those who retired at Full Retirement Age (FRA).
The FRA is the age at which you are eligible to receive your full, unreduced Social Security retirement benefits, in case you were wondering what it is.
For people born in 1960 or later, this age is 67; for people born between 1943 and 1959, it progressively rises from 66 to 67; and for people born prior to 1943, it is 65.
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