Description of 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 2019 and those becoming eligible after 2019.

Estimates based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2017 Trustees Report

Summary Measures
Current law
[percent of payroll]
  Change from current law
[percent of payroll]
  Shortfall eliminated
Long-range
actuarial
balance
Annual
balance in
75th year
  Long-range
actuarial
balance
Annual
balance in
75th year
  Long-range
actuarial
balance
Annual
balance in
75th year
-2.83 -4.48   -0.12 -0.13   -4% -3%

graph of OASDI cost rates and income rates by year, under
                 current law and provision. click on graph to view underlying
                 data. graph of OASDI trust fund ratio by year, under current law
                 and provision. click on graph to view underlying data.