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Social Security Benefits: What Global Teams and Remote Workers Need to Know

The 2025 Social Security Fairness Act brings major changes for international professionals, especially remote workers and expats. Learn how Ontop’s global payroll platform helps you navigate social security compliance, avoid penalties, and support your distributed team across borders.

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Social Security Benefits: What Global Teams and Remote Workers Need to Know

Social security benefits are a critical part of financial planning for workers worldwide. For global businesses and remote professionals, understanding how these benefits work—especially across borders—can be complex. Recent legislative changes, evolving compliance requirements, and the rise of international payroll solutions have made it even more important to stay informed. This article breaks down the latest updates, compliance challenges, and how Ontop’s global payroll platform helps you manage social security obligations for a distributed workforce.

Social Security Benefits: The Basics for Global Teams

Social security systems provide retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to workers and their families. In the United States, eligibility and benefit amounts depend on your work history and contributions to the Social Security Administration (SSA). For noncitizens, only those authorized to work in the US can obtain a Social Security Number (SSN), which is required to access these benefits [1].

Key Points for International Workers

Eligibility: Only noncitizens with work authorization from US immigration authorities can apply for an SSN and participate in the US social security system [1].
Contributions: Both employers and employees contribute to social security funds, with rates and rules varying by country [2].
International Assignments: Workers on international assignments may face double contributions or gaps in coverage if their home and host countries lack a totalization agreement.

For example, a software engineer from Brazil working remotely for a US company may need to navigate both Brazilian and US social security systems, depending on their employment status and location.

2025 Social Security Fairness Act: Major Changes for Expats and Public Employees

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025, marks a significant shift for millions of workers. The Act repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which previously reduced or eliminated benefits for those with pensions from work not covered by Social Security [3] [4].

What This Means for Global Workers

Increased Benefits: The repeal of WEP and GPO increases benefits for certain public employees and Americans with foreign pensions [3].
Retroactive Payments: The law is retroactive to January 2024, so affected individuals will receive lump-sum payments for benefits they missed last year [4].
Who Benefits: The changes primarily help teachers, firefighters, police officers, and federal employees with non-covered pensions, as well as Americans who worked abroad and receive foreign social security [3] [4].

“For Americans living overseas, the Social Security Fairness Act is a welcome change. Due to the WEP and GPO, many expats had their Social Security benefits reduced, sometimes by hundreds of dollars per month. Now, because of the Social Security Fairness Act, you can expect to receive your full Social Security benefits in retirement, even if you also receive a foreign pension.” [4]

Compliance Note

Most state and local public employees—about 72 percent—work in Social Security-covered jobs and are not affected by these changes [3].

Managing Social Security for a Global Workforce

Handling social security compliance for international teams is a major challenge for HR and payroll leaders. Each country has its own rules for contributions, reporting, and eligibility. Failing to comply can result in penalties, loss of benefits, or even suspension of payments.

Common Compliance Challenges

Multiple Jurisdictions: Managing contributions in several countries at once.
Changing Legislation: Keeping up with new laws, such as the 2025 Social Security Fairness Act.
Remote Work: Determining which country’s social security system applies to remote employees.

Example Compliance Scenario

An Argentinian designer working remotely for a US-based company may need to contribute to Argentina’s social security system, while the employer must ensure compliance with US payroll and reporting requirements.

How Ontop Simplifies Global Social Security Compliance

Ontop’s global payroll platform is designed to help businesses hire and pay talent in over 150 countries, while staying compliant with local social security and tax regulations. Here’s how Ontop supports your compliance needs:

Automated Compliance Checks: Ontop keeps up with changing regulations, so you don’t have to.
International Contracts: The platform generates compliant contracts tailored to each worker’s location.
Instant USD Payments: Workers receive payments quickly, with the option to use the Ontop Visa card for global spending.
Documentation Management: All compliance documents are stored and accessible in one place.

For more on how Ontop handles direct deposit processing and payroll timelines, see Direct Deposit Processing Time: How Long Does It Take for Payroll to Hit Your Account?.

Social Security and Remote Work: What Employers Need to Know

Remote work has blurred the lines between local and international employment. Employers must determine which social security system applies, especially when workers move between countries or work from multiple locations.

Key Considerations for Remote Teams

Residency Rules: Some countries base social security on residency, others on the location of the employer.
Totalization Agreements: These agreements prevent double contributions and help workers qualify for benefits in both countries.
Suspension of Benefits: Starting in 2025, the SSA will suspend payments to non-citizen beneficiaries who stay outside the US for more than six months [5].

Quick Checklist for Employers

Confirm each worker’s residency and work authorization status.
Check for totalization agreements between relevant countries.
Use a global payroll platform like Ontop to automate compliance and documentation.

Comparing Global Payroll Solutions: Ontop vs. Traditional Approaches

Choosing the right global payroll solution is essential for managing social security compliance and payments. Here’s how Ontop compares to traditional in-house payroll and other platforms:

Criteria	Ontop Global Payroll Platform	Traditional In-House Payroll
Compliance Updates	Automated, real-time	Manual, risk of delays
Multi-country Coverage	150+ countries	Limited, often single-country
Contract Generation	Localized, compliant	Generic, may lack compliance
Payment Speed	Instant USD, Ontop Visa card	Bank-dependent, slower
Documentation Management	Centralized, digital	Paper-based, fragmented

Ontop’s platform is built for global teams, offering instant payments, compliance automation, and financial benefits for workers, including a Visa card and global money movement capabilities.

Social Security Benefits: Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for US Social Security benefits as a foreign worker?

Only noncitizens authorized to work in the US by immigration authorities can obtain an SSN and participate in the US social security system [1].

How does the 2025 Social Security Fairness Act affect expats?

The Act repeals WEP and GPO, increasing benefits for Americans with foreign pensions and certain public employees. The change is retroactive to January 2024, with lump-sum payments for those affected [3] [4].

What happens if a non-citizen beneficiary stays outside the US for more than six months?

Starting in 2025, the SSA will suspend payments to non-citizen beneficiaries who remain outside the US for more than six months [5].

How can Ontop help with social security compliance?

Ontop automates compliance checks, generates localized contracts, manages documentation, and offers instant payments to workers in over 150 countries.

Take Control of Global Social Security Compliance

Social security benefits are a key part of financial security for workers everywhere. With new laws like the 2025 Social Security Fairness Act and the rise of remote work, managing compliance across borders is more complex than ever. Ontop’s global payroll platform gives you the tools to hire, pay, and support your international team—while staying compliant with social security and tax regulations.

Ready to simplify your global workforce management? Explore Ontop’s global payroll solutions and see how you can support your team’s financial well-being, wherever they work.