Social Security expands survivor benefits for two-income households
H.R. 10235 — Protecting Our Widows and Widowers in Retirement Act · Filed by Linda Sánchez (D-CA) · 6 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 2, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends Social Security to increase survivor benefits for widows and widowers in two-income households. Currently, a surviving spouse can claim either their own earned benefit or a percentage of their deceased spouse's benefit—whichever is larger. This bill allows them to claim the larger of (1) the deceased spouse's full primary insurance amount or (2) 75% of the sum of both their own benefit AND the deceased spouse's benefit, subject to a cap based on a hypothetical high-earner's benefit. The change takes effect for benefits paid after December 2026.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to increase survivor benefits for widows and widowers in two-income households by allowing them to claim a higher combined benefit formula. This is a targeted expansion of an existing Social Security program, not a tax change, appropriation, or structural reform.
What the text implies
- The benefit cap (pegged to a hypothetical individual earning 1⅓ of the national average wage) may limit the actual increase for higher-earning couples, creating a ceiling that is not immediately apparent from the title.
- The SSI harmless provision (subsection b) freezes the deemed income for SSI eligibility at pre-enactment levels, potentially creating a permanent gap between the actual Social Security benefit and the amount counted for means-tested programs.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Surviving spouses (widows and widowers) in two-income households; Surviving divorced spouses meeting the 'fully insured' requirement