## Provisions Affecting Family Member Benefits

- Office of the Chief Actuary
- Individual Provisions

          These provisions modify the specific benefit amounts received by          widow(er)s, spouses, and/or children based on a worker's Social          Security account. We provide a           summary list of all options          (printer-friendly PDF version)          in this category. For each provision          listed below, we provide an estimate of the financial effect on the          OASDI program over the long-range period (the next 75 years) and for          the 75th year. In addition, we provide graphs and detailed single          year tables. We base all estimates on the intermediate assumptions          described in the           2023 Trustees Report.         

          Choose the type of estimates (summary or detailed) from          the list of provisions.         

| Number | Table and graph selection                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                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| D1     | Beginning in 2024, continue benefits for children of disabled or deceased workers       until age 22 if the child is in high school, college or vocational school.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)        Memoranda containing this or a similar provision:- Sanders 2023
- Sanders, DeFazio 2022
- Lawson 2021
- Sanders, DeFazio 2019
- Lawson 2017
- Bipartisan Policy Center October 2016  Bipartisan Policy Center June 2016Begich, Murray 2014
- Moore 2013
-  National Academy of Social Insurance 2009
D2        The current spouse benefit is based on 50 percent of the PIA of the other spouse.         Reduce this percent each year by 1 percentage point beginning with newly eligible         spouses in 2024, until the percent reaches 33 in 2040.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)       Memorandum containing this or a similar provision:- National Academy of Social Insurance 2009

D3       Allow divorced aged spouses and divorced surviving spouses married 5 to 9 years to get        benefits based on the former spouse's account. Divorced aged and surviving spouses would        receive 50% of the applicable current-law PIA percentage if married 5 years, 60% of the        applicable PIA percentage if married 6 years, ..., 90% of the applicable PIA percentage        if married 9 years. This benefit would be available to divorced spouses on the rolls at        the beginning of 2025 and those becoming eligible after 2024.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)        Memorandum containing this or a similar provision:- Begich, Murray 2014

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 2025 and those becoming eligible after 2024.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)       Memoranda containing this or a similar provision:- Lawson 2021
- Lawson 2017
- Begich, Murray 2014

D5        Limit the spousal benefit to that received by the spouse of the 75th percentile         career-average worker, beginning with retired workers newly eligible in 2030. For         future cohorts, this limit would be indexed for inflation annually using chain         weighted CPI-U. The provision affects divorced spouses and young spouses (retired         workers) but not spouses of disabled workers.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)        Memoranda containing this or a similar provision:- Bipartisan Policy Center October 2016
- Bipartisan Policy Center June 2016

D6        For spouses and children of retired and disabled workers becoming newly eligible         beginning in 2030 and phased in for 2030 through 2039, limit their auxiliary benefit         to one-half of the PIA for a hypothetical worker with earnings equal to the national         average wage index (AWI) each year.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)       Memorandum containing this or a similar provision:- Johnson 2016

D7       Beginning in January 2026, require full time school enrollment as a        condition of eligibility for child benefits at age 15 up to 18.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)        Memorandum containing this or a similar provision:- Johnson 2016

D8       Beginning in 2024, continue benefits for children of disabled, retired, or        deceased workers until age 26 if the child is in high school, college or        vocational school.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)        Memoranda containing this or a similar provision:- Moore 2023
- Moore 2022
- Moore 2019

D9       Provide for pro-rata benefit payment for the month of death of a beneficiary,        rather than no payment for month of death. For situations where an auxiliary        beneficiary is changed from one type of benefit to another upon the death of        the worker, benefits for the month of the worker's death would be determined        on a pro-rata basis. This provision would apply for deaths in 2024 or later.              Summary measures and graphs         (PDF version)       Detailed single year tables         (PDF version)        Memorandum containing this or a similar provision:- Deutch, Hirono 2022

Summary list of all options in this category
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