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has had a rich work history throughout her 91 years of life, having worked with the federal government, nonprofit organizations and side gigs such as selling real estate. 

While it is safe to say Abbott— who lives in the Bellevue neighborhood in Southwest— lives comfortably, she was delighted when notified about a bump in her monthly payment due to becoming a law earlier this year.

“I received an increase in my Social Security based on the elimination of the Windfall Elimination bill that has been considered by the Congress for the last 11-12 years,” said Abbott. “I worked [primarily] as a federal employee during my working years and earned Social Security with part-time jobs. I started paying into Social Security when employed with the Alliance of Labor Action, a Teamsters-oriented organization led by Wiley Branton, and I worked with them for six years.”

Abbott explained that she did not participate in Social Security—and did not pay Social Security taxes–while working for the federal government because the covered its employees. When Abbott applied for Social Security benefits, she was shocked to find out that her monthly allotment at the time was a little over $100 instead of the $600 that was expected because of the Windfall Elimination Provision.

Now, Abbott, mother of �����鶹Ӱ����Ƶ Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, said she is happy that the Social Security Fairness legislation remedies her situation.

“I have gotten some increases over the years, mainly cost-of-living increases,” she told The Informer. “Because of the bill, I will be reimbursed all those years for the money that I was due.”

Particulars of the Social Security Fairness Act

Abbott joins millions of Social Security recipients as a beneficiary of the Social Security Fairness Act. Essentially, the law repeals the and the . 

The policies were instituted to prevent workers from getting an edge over other workers by having access to both public pensions and Social Security retirement benefits. Primary beneficiaries of the law include teachers, police officers and firefighters in a number of states; federal employees, like Abbott, covered by the and people whose work is covered by a foreign social security system.

The bill was shepherded through the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. (D-Va.) and (R-La.) in November 2024 and through the U.S. Senate by Sens. (D-Ohio) and (R-Maine) in December. Former President Joe Biden signed the bill on Jan. 5.

“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their lives to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity,” Biden said. “The law that existed denied millions of Americans access to the full Social Security benefits they earned by thousands of dollars a year.”

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President Everett Kelley was at the ceremony where the then-president signed the law and said the experience moved him personally.

“What do I think about when I witness the Social Security Fairness Act being signed by the president,” questioned Kelley, according to a Jan. 13 post. “I think of my very first Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. sponsored by AFGE, where we were lobbying Congress to repeal two provisions of the law – I think of the nearly 3 million public workers who will finally get the full Social Security benefits that they have worked all their life for. Thank you, President Biden.”

The Social Security Administration has paid over $7.5 billion in retroactive benefits to over 1.1 million people, as part of the law’s rollout, with an average payment of $6,710, and is prepared to begin paying higher monthly benefits starting in April, according to the agency’s website. 

“Social Security’s aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible,” said Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security. “The agency’s original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation. The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible.” 

Washingtonians, Social Security Advocates Celebrate Payments  

After years of advocacy, the , of which Abbott is a member,  was pleased with the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. 

“Since their inception, NARFE has opposed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset as unfair penalties that punish hard working public servants by reducing their Social Security benefits,” said Bill Shackelford, NARFE president. “History was made when President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law. This milestone represents the culmination of years of tireless advocacy by NARFE and its members, who time and again made the case for fairness and equality in Social Security benefits.”

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) voted for the law, saying it rewards dedicated public servants.

“From firefighters to teachers to food safety inspectors, we count on the services that public employees provide every day,” said Van Hollen, 66, on Jan. 6. “Our passage of this bill is a critical step toward ensuring all public workers and their families can retire with dignity, receiving the full Social Security benefits that they have paid into – and earned – after years of hard work.”

Another champion of the Social Security Fairness Act is an advocacy group that seeks to expand the reach of Social Security to all Americans. Its president, said the law comes at a critical time in the country’s history, noting that each day, 12,000 baby boomers turn 65, the country’s defined retirement age.

“�����鶹Ӱ����Ƶ 75% of public employees, whether on the federal, state or local level are covered by Social Security presently,” Altman, 75, said. “People must know that there are benefits to being a Social Security recipient. Your monthly payment is adjusted to inflation and there is disability insurance available to those who qualify. What we at Social Security Works want to do is to see that everyone has access to the system and extend everyone’s benefits.”

Altman pointed out that federal workers before 1984 did not have access to the Social Security system and state and local public employees had to opt into the system, not be automatically enrolled. She said the changes that the Social Security Fairness Act made have been advocated since the mid-1980s.

“It has had popular, bipartisan support for many years, but the Republicans would always bring up the issue of how to pay for it,” Altman said.

Altman said the American people should thank the Democrats and Biden for advocating for the law. She said credit for its passage and implementation must be given to the Democrats and not to Trump.

“It is true that the law kicks in while Trump is president, but it was the Democrats in the Congress and the Biden administration, especially the Social Security Administration, that worked during December and the holidays to see that it would be implemented,” Altman said. “The Trump administration should not take credit for this.”