Increase widow and widower Social Security benefits to the greater of 75 percent of combined benefits or the Primary Insurance Amount.

Increase widow and widower benefits to the greater of 75 percent of combined benefits or the Primary Insurance Amount.

Sanchez introduced a bill to raise survivor benefits for widows and widowers.

Sánchez introduces bill to strengthen Social Security, help retirees with rising costs | Congresswoman Linda Sanchez
primary · press_release · model gpt-5.4-mini

SEC. 6. IMPROVING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS IN TWO-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS... such widow's insurance benefit for each month shall be equal to the greater of... the primary insurance amount... or... 75 percent of the sum of any old-age or disability insurance benefit for which the widow... is entitled... and the primary insurance amount... of such deceased individual.

The bill would raise widow and widower benefits in two-income households to the greater of the deceased spouse's primary insurance amount or 75 percent of combined eligible benefits, with benefits payable after December 2027.

2026.06.11-strengthening-social-security-act.pdf
primary · other · model gpt-5.5

Congress.gov lists Linda T. Sanchez as a cosponsor. The bill's summary says it would temporarily increase widow and widower benefits in two-income households, but the latest action was referral to the Social Security Subcommittee and the bill status remained Introduced.

Sanchez backed a later bill aimed at the promised widow/widower benefit increase, but it did not become law before the 118th Congress ended.

never later_term A for effort

H.R.4583 - Social Security 2100 Act, 118th Congress
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 94%

Section 105 proposed widow and widower benefits equal to the greater of the deceased worker's primary insurance amount or 75 percent of the survivor's own old-age/disability benefit plus the deceased worker's primary insurance amount, effective for benefits payable in calendar years 2025 through 2034.

The bill text matches the promise's core formula, confirming a concrete legislative attempt rather than enactment.

never later_term A for effort

Text - H.R.4583 - Social Security 2100 Act
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%

SSA's current survivor-benefit page says spouses and ex-spouses can receive up to 100 percent at full survivor retirement age, and that survivor and other benefit payments are not added together.

Current SSA benefit rules do not show the promised 75-percent combined-benefit formula as delivered.

never later_term

What you could get from Survivor benefits | SSA
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

Congress.gov lists Linda T. Sanchez as a cosponsor. The bill was referred to subcommittees and remained at the Introduced stage, with no enacted law result.

Sanchez also supported a prior version of the same Social Security package, but that effort failed to enact the benefit change.

never later_term A for effort

H.R.5723 - Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust, 117th Congress
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%

Section 105, titled improving benefits for widows and widowers in two-income households, proposed the same greater-of formula using the deceased worker's primary insurance amount or 75 percent of combined amounts, with temporary applicability for 2022 through 2026.

The 117th Congress bill text confirms a concrete, claim-specific proposal, but not delivery.

never later_term A for effort

Text - H.R.5723 - Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

Congress.gov shows the Social Security Fairness Act became Public Law 118-273 and eliminated the Government Pension Offset affecting some spouses, widows, and widowers with government pensions. It did not enact the 75-percent combined-benefit formula.

A related survivor-benefit offset was repealed, providing a narrower partial benefit increase, but the specific campaign commitment remains unmet.

partial later_term A for effort

H.R.82 - Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 86%