SWIFT Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would make disability the primary path to Social Security survivor benefits by allowing eligible widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses to claim benefits at any age. It also raises child-in-care eligibility and creates bigger delayed-claim increases for survivors who wait to file.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Higher survivor checks for delayed filing
If enacted, survivors who delayed filing or asked SSA not to pay benefits would get a delayed‑receipt increase for months beginning on or after January 1, 2027. The increase would equal a percentage of the base survivor benefit times the number of increment months, using different percentage rules if you had reached early retirement age or full retirement age. The increase could not raise your benefit above the statutory maximum. The bill would also let any entitled widow or widower request suspension or resumption of payments at any age.
Longer survivors benefits for children
If enacted, the age a child can get survivors benefits would rise from 16 to 18 starting January 1, 2027. If the child is a full‑time elementary or secondary school student, the age would be 19. This would lengthen the time families can receive monthly survivors payments for older dependent children.
More survivor benefits for disabled spouses
If enacted, survivors who meet Social Security disability tests would be able to get unreduced survivor benefits at any age starting January 1, 2027. The bill would remove prior age and fixed-period limits and let entitlement begin as early as 17 months before you apply. A marriage that happens after the month you first meet the disability test would not stop your eligibility. SSA would not be allowed to reduce your survivor benefit for months you are entitled because of disability.
New cap on monthly survivor benefit
If enacted, the monthly survivor benefit for a widow or widower would not be more than the greater of two amounts. One amount would be the deceased person's adjusted old‑age benefit for the month after certain reductions. The other would be 82.5% of the deceased person's primary insurance amount. This cap would apply starting January 1, 2027 and would work with the delayed‑receipt increase rules.
Protect other benefits from SS increases
If enacted, people who are already getting federal or federally funded state or local benefits when the Act takes effect would not have extra Social Security income from this Act counted against those benefits. The disregard would apply for each program while the person remains eligible and would stop when the person ceases to be eligible for that program. This protection would begin upon enactment.
SSA must mail survivors information booklet
If enacted, the Social Security Commissioner would have to publish a Title II benefits booklet by January 1, 2027. For deaths on or after January 1, 2027, SSA would have to mail that booklet to each known widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse within 30 days after SSA is informed of the death.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
PA • D
Cosponsors
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
NV • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
ME • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov