In one of his final acts in the Oval Office, President Joe Biden signed a new law Sunday to increase the amount of Social Security payments for about 2.8 million Americans, including those in Maryland.

Known as the Social Security Fairness Act, the law repeals two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that had previously limited Social Security benefits for employees receiving other pensions.

These provisions cut benefits for public sector employees who received pensions not covered by Social Security payroll taxes and cut spousal/widow benefits for those who also received public pensions not covered by Social Security, respectively.

While intended to prevent employees from “double dipping” into retirement benefits, public sector union leaders have criticized the provisions for blocking employees who receive state or local pensions from getting Social Security checks.

“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition,” Biden said Sunday upon signing the bill into law at the White House. “Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity.”

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who voted for the bill’s passage, echoed the president’s rhetoric in a post on X/Twitter Monday night, claiming the law would help “tens of thousands of Marylanders” retire with dignity.

Van Hollen’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on exactly how many people in Maryland would see benefits increase. State data shows that 19% of the roughly 2.7 million Marylanders who worked in 2023 were employed in the public sector.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, recipients impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision can expect their monthly benefits to increase by an average of $360 per month this year.

Some spouses impacted by the Government Pension Offset will see an average monthly increase of $700, while surviving spouses with a widow or widower benefit will see an average monthly increase of $1,190, according to the same study.

With the new law, benefits will also grow over time in accordance with Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. The changes will apply to all benefits from January 2024 onward, meaning some recipients will receive back-dated benefits.

In a statement Monday, the Social Security Administration said it is still evaluating how to best implement the law, but noted that beneficiaries do not need to take any action beyond ensuring their mailing address and bank account information are up to date.

In Congress, the legislative effort was championed by outgoing Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, an 18-year Democratic incumbent who lost to a Republican challenger in November and left office last Friday. Former Rep. Garret Graves, a 10-year Louisiana Republican who opted not to run for re-election, sponsored the original House bill in January 2023.

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