Widows and widowers in two-income homes would get potentially higher Social Security benefits.
This bill would let widows and widowers who worked and earned their own Social Security benefits get a potentially larger payment. It would change how their Social Security survivor benefits are calculated, aiming to provide more support for those from two-income households. This would take effect for benefits paid after December 2026.
Today, Social Security survivor benefits for widows and widowers are mainly based on the deceased spouse's earnings, and a survivor's own earnings can limit their benefit. This bill would allow fully insured widows and widowers to receive the greater of two amounts. These are their deceased spouse's benefit or a new calculation. This new calculation includes 75 percent of their own Social Security benefit combined with their deceased spouse's benefit, up to a certain limit. It would also prevent higher Social Security benefits from reducing Supplemental Security Income.
HR 10235 · 119th Congress · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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