If it seems like there’s been an influx in bills targeting Social Security reform, it’s because it’s true.
Over the past six months, Democratic lawmakers have introduced—and reintroduced—multiple pieces of legislation aimed at protecting and expanding Social Security, as more reports forecast cutbacks to the benefits in 2033. At that point, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will only be able to pay out 77% of claimed benefits to retirees.
At the same time, Americans say they expect to use Social Security as a major source of retirement income, with some believing the benefit alone will fund their retirement. A 2025 report from Allianz Life found that 53% of workers surveyed believe Social Security will be a key contributor to their retirement income.
Younger generations, like Gen Z and Millennials, are less trusting of the benefit. Findings from Cerulli show that 58% of 401(k) participants in these groups plan to use their personal retirement accounts to fund their future lifestyle. Just a minimal number, at 5% for Gen Z and 16% of Millennials, believe Social Security will be a major contributor to their retirement.
Concerns over future agency funding, combined with the lack of trust in the Social Security Administration (SSA), have pushed Americans to call on Congress for further support and action. Workers have increasingly called on the federal government to focus on the system’s insolvency, with many asking Congress to make it their leading priority. A 2024 survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that 62% of 10,000 respondents listed addressing Social Security’s funding shortfalls as their retirement security priority for policymakers.
Eighty-two percent of retirees in the survey also pressed policymakers to tackle the insolvency.
The push has led lawmakers to introduce legislation that would increase benefits for seniors in the future. However, little to no bipartisan support for each piece of legislation could cause hurdles for passage in the months ahead, as Republican lawmakers retain control of Congress chambers until the 2026 midterm elections.
Read on in the next few pages to learn more about the latest Social Security bills circling Congress.
NEXT: The Safeguarding American Families and Expanding (SAFE) Social Security Act
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) reintroduced the SAFE Social Security Act on Dec. 16, 2025, to expand Social Security benefits for retirees in Hawai’i and nationwide.
According to a statement by Sen. Schatz, the SAFE Social Security Act will:
- Phase out the payroll tax cap so that payroll taxes apply fairly to every dollar of wages earned;
- Adjust current benefits calculations to increase average monthly benefits by over $150; and
- Update the annual cost of living adjustment to better reflect the real costs that seniors face through the use of the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E).
Over 280,000 people rely on Social Security benefits in Hawai’i. This number is anticipated to grow to over 20% of the population by 2040, therefore pushing the need for expanded benefits.
“Social Security is the most successful safety net program in American history,” said Sen. Schatz. “My bill will expand Social Security, put more money in the hands of seniors who rely on it, strengthen the program for the next generation of retirees, and make sure everyone pays into the system equally.”
The SAFE Social Security is supported by the AFL-CIO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social Security Works, Alliance for Retired Americans, and the American Federation of Teachers.
NEXT: Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act
A group of Senate Democrats in November introduced the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act, in an effort to expand Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits by $200 per month for six months.
The Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act would provide relief to Americans living on a fixed income by:
• Providing a $200 per month emergency increase to Social Security checks until July 2026.
• Support all Title II Social Security beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries, Railroad Retirement beneficiaries, veteran disability compensation, and veteran pension benefit annuitants.
The bill was introduced by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who serves on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Armed Services, and Finance, as well as the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Bill co-sponsors include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
In a statement, Senate Democrats lambasted President Donald Trump for instilling additional tariff rates on imports, which in turn drove up the cost-of-living for Americans, they say.
“Trump campaigned on lowering costs, but all he has done is raise tariffs, slash healthcare benefits, and sabotage energy projects, increasing prices on everything from groceries to electricity,” Sen. Schumer said at the time. “Seniors face difficult decisions as they see their bank accounts shrinking and the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is simply not reflective of the current reality. I urge Republicans to join with us to help offset the cost of Trump’s inflationary trade war and give seniors the money they deserve.”
NEXT: Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act
Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act
The Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), would direct the Social Security Administration to consider adjusting benefits based on the CPI-E instead of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W), depending on whether benefits would increase.
One of the largest differentiators with the CPI-E formula is its heavy consideration of medical expenses along with other costs, say supporters of the change. The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group, notes that the CPI-E is specifically designed to represent older Americans’ spending habits.
As the Social Security’s COLA is expected to raise retiree benefits by $56 a month this year, industry experts say much of that could be consumed by rising healthcare costs.
“Those costs are currently skyrocketing, with Medicare Part B premiums projected to increase by twice as much as last year,” said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group. “The Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act would correct this by incorporating a more accurate formula, the CPI-E.”
The legislation is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
NEXT: The Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act
Similar to the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act would also use the CPI-E instead of the CPI-W to calculate COLAs for seniors.
It would also require for the wealthiest Americans to “pay their fair share” by phasing out caps on Social Security contributions gradually over the next seven years. The current limit sits at $184,500 for 2026.
Further, the legislation would stop the Social Security Administration (SSA) from reclaiming final checks—in which the agency retrieves benefit checks during the same month in which an individual passes away.
The bill is also cosponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Paul Tonko (D-NY).
NEXT: The Claiming Age Clarity Act
The Claiming Age Clarity Act
The Claiming Age Clarity Act was first introduced in September 2025 before advancing the House Committee on Ways and Means in a 41-1 vote later that month.
If passed, it would substitute terms like “full retirement age” and “normal retirement age” to “standard monthly benefit age.” It would also replace the term “early eligibility age” with “minimum monthly benefit age,” and reject the term “delayed retirement credit” to be swapped with “maximum monthly benefit age.”
The bill seeks to provide clarity on when seniors can claim benefits for Social Security and modernize the terminology associated with it. It also hopes to deter future beneficiaries from claiming at an earlier age so individuals can maximize on their benefits.
The bill has since been received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Finance.