If you are a California teacher covered by CalSTRS, the Social Security Fairness Act may have already changed your retirement income, whether you have noticed it yet or not. Signed into law in January 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act eliminated two provisions that had reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for millions of public employees. More than a year later, many CalSTRS members are still sorting out what the change means for them, whether they are due a retroactive payment, and what to do next. Here is where things stand in 2026.
What the Social Security Fairness Act Changed
For decades, two rules limited Social Security benefits for people who also received a pension from work not covered by Social Security, such as CalSTRS. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduced a retired teacher’s own Social Security benefit if they had also worked in Social Security-covered jobs long enough to qualify for it. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduced or eliminated spousal and survivor Social Security benefits for teachers receiving a CalSTRS pension.
The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both provisions. The repeal is retroactive to benefits payable after December 2023, meaning affected retirees are entitled to both a lump-sum retroactive payment and a higher ongoing monthly benefit going forward.
How the Social Security Fairness Act Affects CalSTRS Members
It is worth being precise about what this law does and does not touch. The Social Security Fairness Act has no effect on your CalSTRS pension itself. Your pension benefit is calculated the same way it always has been. What changes is your Social Security benefit, either the one you earned through other employment or the spousal and survivor benefits tied to a spouse’s work record.
Who benefits most
Teachers who worked a second job covered by Social Security, worked in another state before California, or spent part of their career in Social Security-covered education positions are among those most likely to see a meaningful increase. Surviving spouses of CalSTRS members who never bothered applying for a survivor benefit because the Government Pension Offset would have reduced it to zero are also affected, often significantly.
Social Security Fairness Act Retroactive Payments: 2026 Status
The Social Security Administration began issuing retroactive lump-sum payments in February 2025 and increased ongoing monthly benefits starting in April 2025, prioritizing survivors and cases with the largest adjustments. Simpler cases were processed first. As of mid-2026, the agency continues working through a smaller number of complex cases, often those involving multiple employers, disability history, or incomplete earnings records.
If you have not seen a change yet
If you believe you are owed a retroactive payment or a higher monthly benefit and have not seen either, it is worth contacting the Social Security Administration directly to check the status of your record rather than assuming the adjustment is still pending.
An Important Catch for Survivors
This is the detail that trips up the most people. If you are a widow or widower of a CalSTRS member and never filed for a Social Security survivor benefit because the Government Pension Offset would have wiped it out, you are not automatically enrolled now that the offset is gone. Social Security does not go looking for you. You need to file a claim yourself. For some survivor and disability claims, retroactive benefits can reach back up to twelve months from the filing date, while most retirement claims are limited to six months of retroactivity. Filing later can mean permanently losing months of benefits, so this is not a step to put off.
What California Teachers Should Do Now
- Confirm your record was updated. Log in to your Social Security account online or call the SSA to verify whether your benefit was recalculated and whether a retroactive payment was issued.
- File for survivor or spousal benefits if you never have. If the Government Pension Offset previously made filing pointless, revisit that decision now.
- Update your retirement income projections. A meaningfully larger Social Security check changes how much you may need to withdraw from savings each year, and it may affect decisions around Roth conversions, tax withholding, or when to claim CalSTRS benefits.
- Review your tax withholding. A retroactive lump sum and a higher ongoing benefit can push you into a different tax bracket or affect how much of your Social Security benefit is taxable.
- Coordinate CalSTRS and Social Security claiming strategy. With the offset removed, the relative value of delaying Social Security versus claiming early may have shifted for your household.
A Word on 2026 Social Security Numbers
Social Security benefits received a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment for 2026, and the maximum benefit for a worker claiming at full retirement age rose to $4,152 per month, up from $4,018 in 2025. For CalSTRS members newly eligible for a full or partial Social Security benefit, these updated figures are the starting point for understanding what a benefit recalculation could mean in dollar terms.
Bringing It All Together
The Social Security Fairness Act was one of the most significant changes to retirement income for California educators in years, but the benefit does not arrive automatically for everyone. Confirming your status, filing where needed, and adjusting your broader retirement plan are all steps that require some attention. We help California teachers and other public employees sort through exactly these kinds of changes and understand how they fit into an overall retirement plan.
If you would like help reviewing how the Social Security Fairness Act affects your specific situation, we invite you to schedule a free 30-minute call with our team.
Rooney Wealth Management LLC is an investment adviser registered with the state of California. This article is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or investment advice. Please consult your tax or financial professional regarding your specific situation.
