Does my foreign pension still reduce my US Social Security?
No — not anymore. The WEP and GPO were repealed, so a Mexican (IMSS), Spanish, or US government pension no longer cuts your US Social Security for any month from January 2024. And SSA owes you back pay. Estimate what was restored and what you're owed.
Your situation
The breakdown
Email me my estimate + the SSA steps to check my back pay
Worked examples
Retired mechanic with a small IMSS pension, 20 US years
Estimated back pay SSA owes you: $10,240
About $320/month is no longer deducted, and SSA owes roughly $10,240 in retroactive pay across 32 months back to January 2024.
✓ The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both WEP and GPO. December 2023 was the last month they applied — your US Social Security is no longer reduced by a non-covered or foreign pension for any month from January 2024 on.
💵 SSA is issuing the restored months as automatic retroactive lump sums back to January 2024 — over 2.8 million people, more than $17 billion paid as of July 2025. If SSA has your current address and direct deposit, most people need to do nothing. (If you never applied because of WEP/GPO, you must file.)
The breakdown
- Benefit type: Your own retirement / disability (WEP)
- Non-covered / foreign pension: $640/mo
- Estimated prior WEP reduction (now restored): $320/mo
- Months restored (back to Jan 2024): 32
- Estimated retroactive back pay: $10,240
- Estimated yearly amount restored going forward: $3,840
Widow with a Spanish pension, survivor benefit from 2025
Estimated back pay SSA owes you: $26,400
About $1,320/month is no longer deducted, and SSA owes roughly $26,400 in retroactive pay across 20 months back to January 2024 (GPO was two-thirds of your pension).
✓ The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both WEP and GPO. December 2023 was the last month they applied — your US Social Security is no longer reduced by a non-covered or foreign pension for any month from January 2024 on.
💵 SSA is issuing the restored months as automatic retroactive lump sums back to January 2024 — over 2.8 million people, more than $17 billion paid as of July 2025. If SSA has your current address and direct deposit, most people need to do nothing. (If you never applied because of WEP/GPO, you must file.)
The breakdown
- Benefit type: Spousal / survivor (GPO)
- Non-covered / foreign pension: $1,980/mo
- GPO offset (two-thirds of pension, now restored): $1,320/mo
- Months restored (back to Jan 2024): 20
- Estimated retroactive back pay: $26,400
- Estimated yearly amount restored going forward: $15,840
Spanish civil servant with 30+ US coverage years
Nothing to restore: $0
With 30+ years of US Social Security coverage, WEP never applied to you — so there's nothing to restore. Your benefit was already full.
✓ The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both WEP and GPO. December 2023 was the last month they applied — your US Social Security is no longer reduced by a non-covered or foreign pension for any month from January 2024 on.
The breakdown
- Benefit type: Your own retirement / disability (WEP)
- Non-covered / foreign pension: $2,400/mo
- Estimated prior WEP reduction (now restored): $0 — no WEP applied
- Months restored (back to Jan 2024): 32
- Estimated retroactive back pay: $0
- Estimated yearly amount restored going forward: $0
Examples are recomputed whenever the underlying rates or data change; the date above is the last recompute.
Methodology & data sources
The Social Security Fairness Act (Public Law 118-273) repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). December 2023 was the last month they applied — benefits for January 2024 and later are no longer reduced by a pension from work that didn't pay into US Social Security, including foreign pensions (Mexico's IMSS, a Spanish pension) and US federal/state government pensions. WEP had reduced the 90% factor on the first bend point of your benefit (2024 first bend point $1,174), on a sliding scale by years of substantial US coverage — 30+ years meant no WEP, ≤20 years the full cut, with a 2024 maximum of about $587/month — and the cut could never exceed half your non-covered pension. GPO reduced a spousal/survivor benefit by two-thirds of the non-covered pension. We estimate the monthly amount now restored (from your years of coverage and pension, or the exact figure you enter) and multiply by the months back to January 2024. SSA is applying the restoration automatically and has your exact number; this is an estimate of what to expect.
Sources: SSA — Social Security Fairness Act · SSA — WEP explainer · SSA — GPO explainer
Frequently asked questions
Does my IMSS or Spanish pension still cut my US Social Security?
No. WEP and GPO were repealed; December 2023 was the last month they applied. From January 2024 on, a foreign or other non-covered pension no longer reduces your US benefit.
Do I have to do anything to get my back pay?
Usually no. SSA is issuing the retroactive lump sums automatically if it has your current address and direct deposit. The one exception: if you never applied for benefits because of WEP/GPO, you now need to file.
How big was the reduction?
WEP capped out around $587/month in 2024 and shrank with more years of US work (30+ years = no WEP), never exceeding half your pension. GPO cut a spousal/survivor benefit by two-thirds of the pension. Both are gone now.
Is this my exact amount?
It's an estimate. Your exact figure depends on your earnings record, which only SSA has — and SSA is applying it automatically. Use this to know roughly what to expect, then confirm on your SSA account.