Proposed Provision: D4. Establish an alternative benefit for a surviving spouse. For the surviving spouse, the alternative benefit would equal 75 percent of the sum of the survivor's own worker benefit and the deceased worker's PIA (including any actuarial reductions or delayed retirement credits). If the deceased worker died before becoming entitled, use the age 62 actuarial reduction if deceased before age 62, or the applicable actuarial reduction/DRC for entitlement at the age of death if deceased after 62. The alternative benefit would not exceed the PIA of a hypothetical earner who earns the SSA average wage index (AWI) every year, and who becomes eligible for retired-worker benefits in the same year in which the deceased worker became entitled to worker benefits or died (if before entitlement). The alternative benefit would be paid only if more than the current-law benefit. This benefit would be available to surviving spouses on the rolls at the beginning of 2026 and those becoming eligible after 2025.

OASDI Trust Fund Ratio
(assets as a percentage of annual expenditures)

Year Current Law Provision
2024188188
2025171171
2026152151
2027134133
2028117115
202910198
20308481
20316865
20325349
20333733
20342217
203571
2036-9-15
2037-26-32
2038-43-50
2039-60-68
2040-78-86
2041-96-105
2042-115-125
2043-135-144
2044-154-164
2045-174-185
2046-194-206
2047-215-227
2048-235-248
2049-256-269
2050-277-291
2051-299-313
2052-320-335
2053-342-357
2054-364-380
2055-386-403
2056-409-426
2057-431-449
2058-455-473
2059-478-497
2060-502-521
2061-527-547
2062-553-573
2063-579-599
2064-605-626
2065-632-654
2066-660-682
2067-688-711
2068-716-739
2069-745-769
2070-774-798
2071-803-828
2072-834-859
2073-864-890
2074-895-922
2075-927-955
2076-960-988
2077-993-1022
2078-1027-1056
2079-1062-1092
2080-1098-1129
2081-1134-1166
2082-1172-1204
2083-1209-1242
2084-1248-1282
2085-1287-1322
2086-1327-1362
2087-1368-1404
2088-1409-1446
2089-1450-1488
2090-1491-1530
2091-1532-1571
2092-1573-1613
2093-1612-1653
2094-1651-1693
2095-1689-1732
2096-1727-1770
2097-1764-1808
2098-1801-1846
2099-1838-1883
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