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 2028 and those becoming eligible after 2027.

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

Year Current Law Provision
2026151151
2027131131
2028111110
20299291
20307472
20315754
20324037
20332320
203474
2035-9-13
2036-25-30
2037-41-47
2038-58-64
2039-76-82
2040-94-101
2041-112-120
2042-132-140
2043-151-160
2044-171-180
2045-192-201
2046-213-223
2047-234-245
2048-256-268
2049-279-291
2050-301-314
2051-324-337
2052-347-361
2053-371-385
2054-395-410
2055-420-435
2056-445-460
2057-470-486
2058-496-513
2059-522-540
2060-550-567
2061-578-596
2062-607-625
2063-636-655
2064-666-686
2065-697-718
2066-729-750
2067-761-782
2068-794-816
2069-827-849
2070-861-884
2071-896-919
2072-931-955
2073-967-992
2074-1004-1029
2075-1042-1067
2076-1081-1107
2077-1121-1148
2078-1162-1189
2079-1204-1232
2080-1248-1276
2081-1292-1321
2082-1337-1367
2083-1384-1414
2084-1431-1462
2085-1480-1512
2086-1530-1562
2087-1581-1614
2088-1633-1667
2089-1686-1721
2090-1740-1776
2091-1795-1832
2092-1850-1888
2093-1906-1944
2094-1962-2001
2095-2019-2059
2096-2075-2116
2097-2132-2174
2098-2189-2232
2099-2246-2290
2100-2303-2347
2101-2359-2405
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