“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity – that’s the entire purpose of the Social Security system,” Biden said during a signing ceremony in the White House East Room. “This is a big deal.”

The bill Biden signed Sundy rescinds two provisions – the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, both of which limit Social Security benefits for people who also receive retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government.

The measure had bipartisan support, which was reflected at Biden’s signing ceremony. The legislation’s primary sponsors, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, received a standing ovation from ceremony attendees.

The Congressional Research Service said that in December 2023, 745,679 people, about 1% of all Social Security beneficiaries, had their benefits reduced by the Government Pension Offset. About 2.1 million people, or about 3% of all beneficiaries, were affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision.

The Congressional Budget Office said last Fall that doing away with the Windfall Elimination Provision would increase monthly payments to the affected beneficiaries by an average of $360 by December 2025. Ending the Government Pension Offset would increase those monthly benefits in December 2025 by an average of $700 for 380,000 recipients getting benefits based on living spouses, according to the CBO. The increase would be an average of $1,190 for 390,000 or surviving spouses getting a widow or widower benefit, the CBO said.