Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act

Emergency $200 Monthly Payment for Beneficiaries

If enacted, this bill would provide $200 per month for each month from January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026 to people entitled to or eligible for certain federal retirement, disability, veterans, railroad, civil service, or SSI cash benefits. You would get only one $200 payment per month, even if you have more than one qualifying benefit, so a fully eligible person could get up to $1,200. The Treasury would send payments after agencies (Social Security, Railroad Retirement Board, VA, or OPM) certify monthly eligibility, and agencies must start certifying no later than 30 days after enactment. Payments would be limited to residents of the 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands; payments would not be made if the underlying benefit was not payable or was reduced for specified statutory reasons or if the person died before certification. Recipients would be told the payments are not federal taxable income and would not count when checking eligibility or payment amounts for federal or federally assisted programs. No payments could be disbursed after July 1, 2026. The bill would also provide FY2026 appropriations for the Treasury to make payments and for agency administrative costs (for example, $11,000,000 for Treasury admin, $83,000,000 for SSA admin, $1,100,000 for Railroad Retirement Board, $3,000,000 and $5,000,000 for two VA accounts, and $10,000,000 for OPM).