Thursday, February 6, 2025–5:00 p.m.
-News Release-
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is urging the Trump Administration to swiftly deliver expanded Social Security benefits for Georgia law enforcement and teachers.
Sen. Ossoff and a bipartisan group of Senators are urging the Social Security Administration to immediately deliver full Social Security benefits for teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, and other public servants secured under the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act— which Sen. Ossoff championed.
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law last month, repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduce or eliminate regular Social Security benefits for workers and their eligible family members if the worker receives or is entitled to a pension based on earnings from employment not covered by Social Security.
“The Social Security Administration’s website currently states, ‘SSA expects that it could take more than one year to adjust benefits and pay all retroactive benefits’ owed under the Social Security Fairness Act,” Sen. Ossoff and the group wrote. “We call for the immediate implementation of this legislation to provide prompt relief to the millions of Americans impacted by WEP and GPO.”
According to a February 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service, 58,792 Georgia public servants were affected by WEP.
“In the interim, we request monthly updates and briefings regarding the status of the Social Security Administration’s progress towards implementing the Social Security Fairness Act,” Sen. Ossoff and the group continued.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to improve the lives of Georgia’s seniors.
In January, thanks to legislation Sen. Ossoff helped pass into law in 2022, out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors with Medicare Part D are now capped at $2,000 per year.
Last year, a bipartisan bill backed by Sen. Ossoff that would prevent employers from using forced arbitration against older workers seeking justice and accountability in cases of age discrimination passed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Also last spring, Sen. Ossoff co-sponsored the bipartisan Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, legislation to expand early detection cancer screenings for Georgia seniors.
