Sponsors (7)
The bill secures a stronger baseline guarantee and preserves SSI protections for many survivors, but its new capped, average-wage–based calculation can reduce benefits for some (particularly survivors tied to above-average earners) and adds administrative complexity that may cause delays or errors.
Surviving spouses in two-income households: each survivor is guaranteed to receive at least the deceased spouse's full Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) as their monthly widow/widower benefit, which can raise survivor income relative to some prior calculations.
SSI recipients who also receive Title II benefits: your counted Title II benefit for SSI purposes is held harmless at pre-enactment levels so your SSI eligibility/amounts won't be reduced by the new Title II computation.
Some surviving spouses—especially those whose deceased spouse had above-average lifetime earnings—could get smaller monthly benefits because the new 75% combined-income calculation is capped using a hypothetical early-retirement PIA based on national average wages, which can lower payments compared with current law.
Low-income surviving spouses who rely on widow/widower benefits may face increased economic strain if their overall benefits are reduced under the new formula.
Complex changes to the benefit formula will increase administrative workload for the Social Security Administration and could lead to processing delays or initial payment errors for beneficiaries.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Revises Social Security survivor benefit formulas for two‑income households and holds SSI calculations harmless to pre‑enactment Title II amounts.
Official title: To amend title II of the Social Security Act to improve social security benefits for widows and widowers in two-income households.
Introduced September 2, 2026 by Linda T. Sánchez · Last progress September 2, 2026
Changes how Social Security survivor benefits are calculated for fully insured survivors in two-income households so each survivor receives the larger of the deceased spouse’s primary insurance amount (PIA) or a new 75% combined-calculation (subject to a new cap). It also prevents any Title XVI (SSI) payment or eligibility reduction by treating an individual’s Title II benefit amount for SSI purposes as not exceeding the Title II amount in effect the day before enactment. The rule applies to survivor benefits payable for months after December 2026.