SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION BALTIMORE, MD 21235-0001

SOCIAL SECURITY

Office of the Chief Actuary

March 9, 2022

The Honorable Jimmy Panetta

United States House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative Panetta:

I am writing in response to your request for our estimate of the program cost effects for the 

Social Security (OASDI) and Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs of enacting 

H.R. 6405, the “Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act,” which you introduced on January 

13, 2022. This Bill would make several changes to the requirements governing Disabled Adult 

Child (DAC) benefits. 

We have enjoyed working with Mark Dennin of your staff in gaining a full understanding of the 

intent of the Bill. In particular, Mark has clarified that Section 2 of the Bill is intended to affect 

child benefits for individuals who qualify on the basis of DAC, and not individuals who qualify 

for student or minor (under age 18) child benefits. The estimates and descriptions of the 

provisions that follow reflect this clarification. 

For OASDI beneficiaries, this Bill would eliminate the requirement that a DAC beneficiary be 

unmarried for starting or restoring receipt of benefits and remove marriage as a terminating event 

for existing DAC beneficiaries. For SSI recipients, this Bill would: (1) eliminate the policy 

related to recipients holding themselves out as married and clarify same sex marriage eligibility

for SSI benefit entitlement; and (2) remove the SSI deeming of income requirement between a 

married couple if one spouse is a Title II DAC beneficiary. In addition, this Bill would ensure

that, in a marriage between a DAC beneficiary and any other person, both spouses may continue 

to receive Medicaid benefits as if they were unmarried.

We estimate that this Bill would increase (worsen) the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by 

0.01 percent of taxable payroll and would increase the annual deficit for the OASDI program by 

about 0.01 percent of payroll for 2095. The year of projected combined OASDI Trust Fund 

reserve depletion would be 2034, the same as under current law. Table 1, enclosed, presents

projected annual and 75-year-summarized cost rates, income rates, and balances for the OASDI 

program assuming enactment of the Bill, and changes in these values from those projected under 

current law. In addition, the Bill would reduce Federal SSI payments from the General Fund of 

the Treasury by an estimated $6 billion for the period 2022 through 2031.
Page 2 – The Honorable Jimmy Panetta

The estimates presented here are based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2021 Trustees 

Report and the assumptions of the 2021 SSI Annual Report. These estimates reflect the 

combined effort of many in the Office of the Chief Actuary, but most particularly Karen Glenn, 

Chris Chaplain, Daniel Nickerson, Amir Levy, Chelsea Shudtz, and Kyle Burkhalter.

Provisions in the Bill

This Bill would make several changes to the requirements governing DAC beneficiaries.

Section 2 would remove marriage as a bar to starting or restoring DAC entitlement and as a 

terminating event for an existing DAC beneficiary. This section, the only section of the Bill with 

direct effect on OASDI beneficiaries, would increase the OASDI actuarial deficit by an 

estimated 0.01 percent of payroll and would increase the annual deficit for the OASDI program 

by about 0.01 percent of payroll for 2095. In addition, we estimate that Section 2 alone would 

reduce Federal SSI payments by $7 billion for the period 2022 through 2031.

Section 3 would: (1) eliminate the policy related to recipients holding themselves out as married 

and the resulting application of this policy to recipients, claimants, and deemors (under current 

law, individuals who are holding out as a married couple to their community are considered to be 

married for SSI purposes, whether they are legally married or not); and (2) clarify that same-sex 

marriages are valid for SSI eligibility. We estimate that Section 3 alone would increase Federal 

SSI payments by $1 billion for the period 2022 through 2031.

Section 4 would change deeming rules under SSI between spouses if one of the spouses is a Title 

II DAC beneficiary, such that the ineligible spouse’s income is no longer deemed to be available 

to the eligible spouse. We estimate that Section 4 alone would increase Federal SSI payments by 

less than $1 billion for the period 2022 through 2031.

Section 5 states that married DACs and their spouses would still be eligible for Medicaid if they 

would be eligible for Medicaid as unmarried individuals. This provision would have no direct 

impact on the OASDI or SSI programs.

In total, we estimate that the Bill would reduce Federal SSI payments from the General Fund of 

the Treasury by an estimated $6 billion for the period 2022 through 2031.

We hope these estimates are helpful. Please let me know if we may provide further assistance.

Sincerely,

 

 

Stephen C. Goss, ASA, MAAA

Chief Actuary

Enclosures
Table 1 - OASDI Cost Rate, Income Rate, Annual Balance, and Trust Fund Ratio

Year Cost Rate

Income

Rate

Annual

Balance Cost Rate

Income

Rate

Annual

Balance

2021 14.11 12.31 -1.81 253 0.00 0.00 0.00

2022 14.30 12.93 -1.38 231 0.00 0.00 0.00

2023 14.44 12.91 -1.52 214 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2024 14.65 12.94 -1.70 196 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2025 14.87 12.96 -1.91 178 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2026 15.12 13.08 -2.04 159 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2027 15.38 13.10 -2.27 141 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2028 15.64 13.14 -2.50 122 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2029 15.88 13.17 -2.71 103 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2030 16.12 13.19 -2.93 84 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2031 16.30 13.21 -3.09 65 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2032 16.45 13.22 -3.23 46 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2033 16.57 13.23 -3.34 26 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2034 16.67 13.24 -3.43 7 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2035 16.75 13.24 -3.50 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2036 16.81 13.25 -3.56 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2037 16.87 13.26 -3.62 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2038 16.93 13.26 -3.66 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2039 16.96 13.27 -3.70 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2040 16.99 13.27 -3.72 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2041 17.03 13.27 -3.76 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2042 17.05 13.28 -3.77 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2043 17.05 13.28 -3.78 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2044 17.06 13.28 -3.78 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2045 17.06 13.28 -3.78 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2046 17.07 13.28 -3.79 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2047 17.09 13.28 -3.80 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2048 17.11 13.29 -3.82 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2049 17.13 13.29 -3.84 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2050 17.15 13.29 -3.86 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2051 17.17 13.29 -3.88 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2052 17.20 13.30 -3.90 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2053 17.23 13.30 -3.93 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2054 17.27 13.30 -3.96 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2055 17.30 13.31 -4.00 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2056 17.35 13.31 -4.04 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2057 17.40 13.31 -4.08 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2058 17.45 13.32 -4.13 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2059 17.50 13.32 -4.18 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2060 17.56 13.33 -4.23 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2061 17.61 13.33 -4.28 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2062 17.66 13.34 -4.33 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2063 17.71 13.34 -4.37 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2064 17.76 13.35 -4.42 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2065 17.81 13.35 -4.46 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2066 17.86 13.35 -4.51 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2067 17.92 13.36 -4.56 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2068 17.97 13.36 -4.61 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2069 18.02 13.37 -4.66 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2070 18.08 13.37 -4.71 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2071 18.13 13.37 -4.76 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2072 18.19 13.38 -4.81 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2073 18.24 13.38 -4.85 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2074 18.29 13.39 -4.90 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2075 18.33 13.39 -4.94 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2076 18.36 13.39 -4.97 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2077 18.38 13.39 -4.99 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2078 18.39 13.40 -4.99 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2079 18.38 13.40 -4.99 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2080 18.36 13.40 -4.97 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2081 18.34 13.39 -4.94 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2082 18.31 13.39 -4.91 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2083 18.26 13.39 -4.87 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2084 18.21 13.39 -4.82 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2085 18.15 13.39 -4.77 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2086 18.09 13.38 -4.71 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2087 18.02 13.38 -4.64 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2088 17.95 13.37 -4.58 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2089 17.88 13.37 -4.51 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2090 17.82 13.36 -4.46 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2091 17.78 13.36 -4.42 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2092 17.74 13.36 -4.38 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2093 17.72 13.36 -4.37 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2094 17.71 13.36 -4.36 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2095 17.71 13.36 -4.35 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

2096 17.72 13.36 -4.36 ---- 0.01 0.00 -0.01

Summarized Rates: OASDI Summarized Rates: OASDI

Cost Rate Income Rate

Actuarial 

Balance

Change in 

Cost rate

Change in 

Income Rate

Change in 

Actuarial

Balance

2021 - 2095 17.33% 13.78% -3.55% 2034 0.01% 0.00% -0.01%

Office of the Chief Actuary

Based on Intermediate Assumptions of the 2021 Trustees Report. Social Security Administration 1

Under current law the year of combined Trust Fund reserve depletion is 2034. March 9, 2022

Title II Effects for H.R. 6405, the "Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act"

Year of reserve 

depletion1

Proposal Change from Current Law

Expressed as a percentage of current-law

taxable payroll Trust Fund

Ratio

1-1-year

Expressed as a percentage of current-law

taxable payroll