The Social Security Administration announced it will start distributing payments this week to former public service workers and surviving spouses who were previously denied access to their full benefits.
Social Security will begin paying retroactive benefits and adjusting benefit levels for those affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). That includes more than 25,000 people in Maine.
More than 3.2 million people across the country are due retroactive payments or benefit adjustments, according to SSA.
Social Security said it will make most one-time retroactive payments by the end of March. Beneficiaries should notice new monthly benefit amounts starting in April.
Some cases may take longer than others, and so SSA is advising recipients to contact the agency starting in April if they haven't received their benefits yet.
The agency said it will deposit retroactive payments into the bank account that it has on file. Mainers who never applied for retirement because of these provisions can submit an application online or over the phone.
More information can be found here.
