School leaders from across the country and nearly 3 million other public sector workers, retirees, spouses and surviving spouses saw history made on Jan. 5 when President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, marking a key moment in the retirement security of these families.
This new law, passed by a bipartisan Congress, repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)—two provisions that have long penalized some federal, state and local government retirees, including educators, firefighters, police officers and other public sector workers, by reducing or eliminating their Social Security benefits.
Biden called the moment "a victory for fairness and dignity," emphasizing that the repeal rights a wrong that disproportionately impacted those who dedicated their careers to serving the public. “The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their lives to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity,” Biden said at a bill signing ceremony held at the White House.
For school leaders, the repeal represents a particularly significant victory. Many principals, assistant principals and district administrators who have worked under state retirement systems were subjected to reduced Social Security benefits due to the WEP and GPO. These provisions often resulted in financial hardships, especially for those who shifted between public and private sector jobs, or for surviving spouses who lost access to spousal benefits.
“This is a retirement security game-changer for educators,” said AFSA President Dr. Leonard P. Pugliese. “For years, our members in many communities like Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco—just to name a few—have faced an unjust penalty simply because they chose to serve their communities. Today, we celebrate a long-overdue correction that will provide economic security to those who have dedicated their lives to public education and the children of this country.”
The Windfall Elimination Provision, enacted in 1983, reduced Social Security payments for individuals who earned a pension from work not covered by Social Security, while the Government Pension Offset, established in 1977, slashed spousal and survivor benefits for retirees who also received a public pension.
Together, these provisions disproportionately affected workers in states where public employees were exempt from paying into Social Security, creating significant financial disparities. With the repeal of these provisions, retirees can now look forward to larger monthly Social Security checks, offering much-needed relief amid rising living costs.
According to the Federal News Service, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that eliminating WEP will increase monthly Social Security payments of impacted individuals by $360, on average, by December 2025. Eliminating GPO will increase monthly payments by $700 for impacted spouses, and $1,190 for impacted surviving spouses, on average, by December 2025. The monthly payments will increase over time due to annual cost-of-living adjustments.
CBS News reports that, “once signed into law, 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.”
For school leaders, this means a more stable retirement income, enabling them to better support their families and communities.
“At long last, school administrators, educators, school personnel, police, firefighters and other dedicated public service retirees will receive their hard-earned Social Security benefits,” said AFSA General Vice President Dom Sacchetti.
Sacchetti, who served as president of AFSA Local 6, the Boston Association of School Administrators & Supervisors (BASAS), for more than a decade before retiring in 2024, has been a longtime advocate for Social Security fairness. “Since becoming a local leader where our members were cheated out of Social Security, I’ve believed that AFSA must fight for Social Security fairness—and we finally did it! I’m incredibly proud of the strong support from AFSA members who tirelessly contacted their senators and representatives to urge the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. With a victory like this, I hope every member recognizes the undeniable value of their union membership.”
“This legislation ensures our members receive the full benefits they’ve earned through their hard work and dedication,” said Richard Jackson, AFSA general vice president and president of the Council of School Officers, AFSA Local 4 in Washington, D.C. “It reflects fairness and equity for those who deserve every benefit they’ve worked for. AFSA’s commitment to this fight underscores the strength of collective action and the tangible impact unions can have. This victory demonstrates the power of our union and our ability to influence legislative change.”
“The passage of this legislation is the culmination of decades of advocacy by AFSA, our family of public employee unions and friends," Pugliese said. "The repeal reflects a bipartisan effort to address longstanding inequities in the retirement system, with broad support from lawmakers, public policy experts and grassroots movements. We want to thank Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Garret Graves (R-La.), and Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) for leading this through Congress.
“This victory shows the power of collective action,” he said. “When educators and public employees come together, we can achieve meaningful change.”
To watch the White House Signing Ceremony, click here.
Photo Credit: White House Video Stream
