Seniors Owed Money by the Social Security Fairness Act May Not Realize Their Benefit Has Been Stolen
When the Social Security Fairness Act passed in 2025, many people were told that they would see a boost in their Social Security income. However, a year later, many people say the money they were promised never came through, and some admit their payments were stolen.
Now, some warn that there may be more people out there missing money that they may not even know they were owed as part of the new ruling, creating a tricky situation for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to track as the agency tries to figure out who still needs to be paid as part of the act.
Social Security Change Brings More Money to Some
The Social Security Fairness Act boosted payments for more than 3 million people who were either not yet collecting Social Security or collecting smaller sums. However, not everyone realized their new windfall after the SSA eliminated two major rules that cut benefits for some workers. Instead, some people never saw a single penny from the change thanks to a surprising reason: Theft.
That's right, there's been a rise in thefts after these checks were sent out, according to NBC Chicago. That's because thieves have been raiding the mailboxes of those who are supposed to be receiving the money and instead fraudulently cashing them on their behalf, while pocketing the money.
Related: 3 Surprising Ways You Can Claim Social Security Before Retirement
For one woman, that spelled a $55,000 loss after the act made it impossible for her to collect on behalf of her late husband. She told NBC Chicago that an Amazon driver was accused of stealing her mail and taking the check to a bank, where she used a fake ID to cash it. And she's not the only one who lost their money, since several other people have shared similar stories.
How to Find Out if You're Owed Social Security Payments
According to an FAQ on the SSA website, payments were set to start going out on Feb. 25, 2025 as part of this change. The payment was intended as a one-time lump sum, which is why some recipients reported receiving large amounts at home or being directly deposited into their accounts.
All payments were sent out by July 7, 2025, totaling $17 billion and spread across 3.1 million people. Those who qualified for the payment would've been sent a letter in advance letting them know they'd be receiving extra money from the SSA.
If you received a notice but not a payment, you should contact the SSA immediately by calling 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., local time. However, if you did not receive a notice that you were among the millions of people who were expected to receive an extra payment as part of the new ruling, chances are that you are not owed money. That being said, the quickest way to find out is to call the SSA and ask.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 1:47 PM.