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 2027 and those becoming eligible after 2026.

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

Year Current Law Provision
2025169169
2026149149
2027131130
2028113112
20299593
20307875
20316058
20324340
20332622
203494
2035-9-14
2036-27-32
2037-45-51
2038-63-70
2039-83-90
2040-102-110
2041-122-130
2042-143-151
2043-164-173
2044-185-195
2045-206-217
2046-228-239
2047-250-261
2048-272-284
2049-295-307
2050-317-330
2051-340-354
2052-363-377
2053-386-401
2054-409-425
2055-433-449
2056-457-473
2057-481-498
2058-505-523
2059-530-548
2060-556-574
2061-582-601
2062-609-628
2063-636-656
2064-664-685
2065-692-713
2066-721-743
2067-750-772
2068-780-803
2069-810-833
2070-840-864
2071-871-896
2072-903-928
2073-935-960
2074-967-993
2075-1000-1027
2076-1035-1062
2077-1070-1098
2078-1106-1134
2079-1142-1172
2080-1180-1210
2081-1219-1249
2082-1258-1289
2083-1298-1330
2084-1338-1371
2085-1380-1414
2086-1423-1457
2087-1466-1501
2088-1510-1546
2089-1554-1591
2090-1599-1636
2091-1643-1681
2092-1687-1726
2093-1731-1771
2094-1774-1814
2095-1816-1858
2096-1858-1900
2097-1900-1943
2098-1941-1985
2099-1982-2026
2100-2022-2067
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