Biden Signs WEP Elimination

Retirees in the Northern Marianas may see a change in their Social Security benefits following the enactment of the Social Security Fairness Act this month. Signed into law on January 5, 2025, Public Law 118-273, repeals two provisions under Social Security—the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)—for benefits payable after December 2023. These programs reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who receive a pension from employers that did not withhold Social Security taxes, like the CNMI government. The new law also removes the pension offset for spouses, widows, and widowers receiving a government pension. The most recent data available shows that there were 754 beneficiaries affected by WEP from the Marianas in 2020. This is a long-awaited victory for public service retirees and their families, and I applaud the efforts that led to this critical legislation. Go to ssa.gov, where you can find the most recent update from the Social Security Administration to implement the Social Security Fairness Act.