Social Security Survivor Benefits Fairness Act (SSSBFA)

Liberty
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1

Purpose:
To eliminate income restrictions and penalties for widows under retirement age, both with and without minor children, to ensure they receive their rightful Social Security (SS) survivor benefits without unjust reductions, alleviating financial hardship during their time of loss.

Section 1: Short Title
This Act may be cited as the Social Security Survivor Benefits Fairness Act.

Section 2: Findings and Purpose
• (a) Findings:

  1. Widows under retirement age, particularly those with minor children, face severe financial hardships after the loss of a spouse, as many households rely predominantly on the deceased spouse’s income.
  2. Current Social Security survivor benefits are unfairly reduced for widows who earn over $10.22 per hour full-time, making it extremely difficult for these individuals to maintain their households.
  3. This income penalty forces widows to make impossible choices between working to support their families and receiving the full benefits they are entitled to, leading to loss of homes, financial instability, and increasing debt.
  4. The deceased spouses paid into the Social Security system with the understanding that their families would be cared for, yet current regulations fail to adequately support the surviving spouse and children in these critical times.
    • (b) Purpose:
    This bill aims to:
  5. Remove income restrictions that reduce Social Security survivor benefits for widows not yet to retirement age.
  6. Ensure that widows with minor children are able to receive their full survivor benefits regardless of income earned from employment.
  7. Prevent financial crises for widows by allowing them access to the full Social Security funds their spouses paid into, without forcing them to live below the poverty line.
  8. Ensure that widows can continue to provide stable homes for their children without facing unnecessary financial penalties.

Section 3: Provisions
• (a) Elimination of Income Penalties:
Widows under the age of retirement who are eligible for Social Security survivor benefits shall receive the full benefits without any reduction or penalty based on their earned income, regardless of employment status or income level.
• (b) Protection for Households with Minor Children:
Widows with minor children shall be prioritized to receive full survivor benefits to ensure the continued stability of their households and the well-being of their children.
• (c) Retroactive Adjustments:
Widows who have experienced benefit reductions due to income restrictions within the past five years shall be eligible for retroactive payments to compensate for lost funds.
• (d) Outreach and Assistance:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) shall establish an outreach program to inform widows of the changes in policy and provide assistance with navigating the updated benefit system to ensure all eligible recipients receive their full payments.

Section 4: Implementation
This Act shall take effect 180 days after its enactment, with the SSA required to update its systems and guidelines accordingly. Retroactive payments shall be issued within one year of the Act’s effective date.

Section 5: Authorization of Appropriations
Such sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this Act.

This bill seeks to support widows during the most challenging time of their lives by ensuring they receive the Social Security survivor benefits they and their families are entitled to, without unjust reductions or penalties.

3 Likes
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I would like to see the restriction removed “widows under the age of retirement”. and that all widows receive survivor benefits from their spouses SSI.

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I would like to see widows receiving their full benefits immediately following the death of their spouse. Along with no working income limitations. And also collecting their own social security to help ease the burden of the permanent loss of the spouses’ income.

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4

All widows should receive their spouses full SSI benefits. They should not have to wait until a certain age or be penalized for trying to work to supplement the small amount they receive. If I had not applied for my husband’s survivor benefits at 61, I would have become homeless, but that meant not receiving the full amount(age 67). I lost our home anyway and through the generosity of friends I now live in a small caravan, but the partial benefits I receive is too low to even buy fresh food some months, or buy gasoline for my car. Most jobs I look at pay too much, and i would be penalized by SSI. Also. I receive my payments so late in the month, I have to pay $50 late fee on rent almost every month. The whole set up is ridiculous.

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5

Just an honest question and not an observation on your post…

Don’t minor children of a deceased parent receive that parent’s Social Security (maybe up until the age of majority)?

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Yes, minor children receive a portion of their parents Social Security until they are 18 years of age. The surviving parent is also qualified but does not receive payment if they earn more than roughly 23k a year. The surviving parent should receive the spouses SS without an income limit. We need that money as a supplement not a replacement.