Repairing Social Security After Trump and DOGE Act
Sponsored By: Representative Torres (CA)
Introduced
Summary
restore access to Social Security benefits for people who failed to apply because of certain "undue hardships" between January 20, 2025 and January 19, 2029. The bill defines specific causes of hardship and creates a process so affected people can be treated as if they had applied earlier.
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- People who missed applying would be deemed to have applied on the later of the hardship date or when they met other entitlement rules. The Social Security Commissioner would have to identify affected people and set up a program allowing them to notify the agency within 180 days after January 20, 2029.
- People whose disability began between January 20, 2025 and January 20, 2029 would get special treatment of the disability waiting period, with specific rules for conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- Any amounts paid under Old‑Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (title II) or Supplemental Security Income (title XVI) because of this bill would not count when determining eligibility or benefit amounts for Federal, State, or local programs funded in whole or in part with Federal funds. The bill also would require a Government Accountability Office report on SSA actions and their effects by July 30, 2029 or 180 days after enactment, whichever is later.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Catch-up Social Security and SSI benefits
If enacted, people who missed applying for Social Security or SSI due to an undue hardship would be treated as if they applied earlier. The hardship would need to happen between Jan 20, 2025 and Jan 19, 2029, such as long phone waits, website issues, being wrongly listed as dead, or bad or missing information. You would be deemed to have applied on the later of the hardship date or when you first met the rules. Social Security would have to set up, within 180 days after Jan 20, 2029, a program to find these cases and take notices. For disability periods that start Jan 20, 2025 through Jan 20, 2029, the usual waiting period would not delay when benefits start, including special cases like ALS.
Social Security back pay ignored for other aid
If enacted, any Social Security or SSI payment you get because of this Act would not count against need rules for other programs. This could help keep SNAP, Medicaid, or housing help from being lowered due to back pay. The exclusion would start upon enactment and would apply only to payments made because of this Act.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Torres (CA)
CA • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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