[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2121-S2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Casey):
S. 2653. A bill to create a poverty relief benefit under title II of
the Social Security Act for eligible individuals; to the Committee on
Finance.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, every day, Social Security provides vital
benefits to millions of Americans who worked and paid into the system,
and I cannot overstate the important anti-poverty role that the program
plays. Supplemental Security Income or SSI is the safety net of last
resort for individuals who have not worked enough to qualify for Social
Security. Even with these critical income support programs, more and
more seniors and people with disabilities find themselves struggling to
keep up with the costs of the things they need just to get by.
Although Social Security and SSI automatically increase each year
when there is an increase in the cost of living, over time those
increases do not allow beneficiaries to maintain their standard of
living. Because Social Security provides an increasingly larger share
of the elderly's income as they age, even a slight decrease in value of
these lifeline benefits can lead to poverty and hardship. Too many
seniors are walking on an economic tightrope, balancing their food bill
against their rent against their utility bill. It's time to update
Social Security's guarantee of a secure retirement, and this bill is a
landmark step towards accomplishing that goal. I'm particularly hopeful
about the benefits this bill will have for older American women, who
live longer and often have less retirement savings.
To help combat the risk of poverty among the most vulnerable
receiving Social Security and SSI, I, along with Senators Brown and
Casey, are introducing the Elder Poverty Relief Act. This bill creates
a monthly Poverty Relief Benefit for almost everyone over age 82,
individuals who have been relying on Social Security or SSI for a long
time, or who have worked in low-paying jobs and receive a very small
Social Security benefit. The Poverty Relief benefit will also go to
seniors who receive only SSI. If enacted, in 2019, the Poverty Relief
Benefit would provide an additional $85 a month to almost 14 million
people. The Poverty Relief Benefit will grow by roughly 4 percent each
year. SSA estimates that the enactment of the Poverty Relief Benefit
would reduce poverty among seniors who received the benefit by almost
25 percent in 2030 which would lift 420,000 seniors out of poverty.
Notably, the enactment of the Poverty Relief Benefit would not
accelerate the depletion year of the Social Security trust funds. The
bill has been endorsed by the Gray Panthers, Justice in Aging, the
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social
Security Works, and the Strengthen Social Security Coalition.
For most seniors, Social Security is the only income they will
receive that's guaranteed to last as long as they live. But despite
these important benefits, poverty among seniors grows--with some
studies showing the poverty rate among the very old is between 12 and
19 percent. We simply must do more to protect the financial stability
of our elderly friends, neighbors, and relatives and enactment of the
Poverty Relief Benefit would help reduce poverty among America's
seniors. These are workers who sent a chunk of every paycheck to the
Federal government with the understanding that they'd be getting it
back in their later year when they needed it most. We must do right by
them.
Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare be inserted
into the
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Record following my remarks about the Elderly Poverty Act.
National Committee to Preserve
Social Security & Medicare,
Washington, DC, March 16, 2018.
Hon. Ron Wyden,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Wyden: On behalf of the millions of members
and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social
Security and Medicare, I write to endorse your bill, the
``Elder Poverty Relief Act.'' We applaud your leadership in
developing new and innovative approaches for alleviating
poverty among America's seniors.
The ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' addresses the long-
standing problem of seniors falling into poverty after being
on the Social Security rolls for many years. This occurs when
inflation, only partially offset by annual cost-of-living
adjustments, gradually erodes the purchasing power of a
Social Security benefit for beneficiaries who have
participated in the program for several years.
The ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' will help alleviate
poverty among the elderly and the disabled by granting each
beneficiary a monthly increase in their benefit equal to
about $85. This bump-up will increase for future
beneficiaries in tandem with growth in wages in the economy.
Benefits under the ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' will be
paid to:
Social Security beneficiaries beginning at age 82 (or
older) and to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients
when they reach their full retirement age (currently 66,
increasing gradually to age 67);
Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who have received
benefits for 20 years; and to
Social Security beneficiaries with low monthly benefits
(currently about $944) when they reach their full retirement
age.
The ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' embodies legislation that
the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and
Medicare has supported for a number of years. In testimony
given before the Senate Finance Committee at a hearing on
December 9, 2014, Catherine Dodd, who is the chair of the
National Committee's board of directors, recommended
increasing benefits for seniors who have received Social
Security for many years.
For these reasons, the National Committee endorses your
bill, the ``Elder Poverty Relief Act.'' We thank you for your
leadership on this matter and look forward to working with
you to enact this important improvement to Social Security.
Sincerely,
Max Richtman,
President and CEO.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2653
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Elder Poverty Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. POVERTY RELIEF BENEFIT.
(a) In General.--Title II of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``poverty relief benefit
``Sec. 235. (a) Subject to subsection (d), any eligible
individual shall be entitled to a poverty relief benefit that
shall be--
``(1) in addition to any other amounts to which the
individual is entitled under this title;
``(2) certified and paid monthly in such manner as the
Commissioner of Social Security (referred to in this section
as the `Commissioner') considers appropriate; and
``(3) equal to the monthly benefit amount determined under
subsection (b).
``(b)(1) Subject to paragraph (4), the monthly benefit
amount determined under this subsection for any calendar year
shall be a dollar amount equal to 1/12th of 2 percent of the
national average wage index for the year (as defined in
section 209(k)(1)).
``(2) If the monthly benefit amount determined under
paragraph (1) is not a whole dollar, such amount shall be
rounded down to the next lower whole dollar.
``(3) The Commissioner shall determine the monthly benefit
amount under this subsection for each calendar year not later
than October 1 of the preceding calendar year, based on the
most recent data that is available.
``(4) If the monthly benefit amount determined for a
calendar year under paragraph (1) is less than the monthly
benefit amount determined for any previous calendar year, the
highest monthly benefit amount determined for a previous year
shall be the monthly benefit amount for the calendar year
involved.
``(5) For purposes of a monthly benefit amount payable to
an eligible individual pursuant to this section, such amount
shall be payable for each month during the 12-month period
from the month of December of the applicable calendar year
under such subsection through the month of November of the
subsequent calendar year.
``(c)(1) For purposes of this section, the term `eligible
individual' means any of the following:
``(A) An individual who--
``(i) is entitled to a monthly benefit under subsections
(a) through (h) of section 202 or section 223(a); and
``(ii) attains 82 years of age or 240 benefit months (as
defined in paragraph (3)) on the basis of the wages and self-
employment income of 1 individual, whichever is earlier.
``(B) An individual who--
``(i) is eligible for supplemental security income benefits
under title XVI; and
``(ii) attains retirement age (as defined in section
216(l)) or 240 benefit months (as defined in paragraph (3)),
whichever is earlier.
``(C) An individual who--
``(i) is entitled to a monthly benefit under subsections
(a) through (h) of section 202;
``(ii) attains retirement age (as defined in section
216(l));
``(iii) has average indexed monthly earnings which do not
exceed the amount specified in subparagraph (B) of section
215(a)(1) for the purposes of clause (i) of subparagraph (A)
of such section 215(a); and
``(iv) has not less than 11 years of coverage (as defined
for purposes of section 215(a)(7)(D)).
``(2)(A) An individual's entitlement to a poverty relief
benefit under this section shall be suspended if, during any
month, the individual ceases to be an eligible individual.
``(B) In the case of an individual described in
subparagraph (A) who subsequently satisfies the requirements
under paragraph (1), such individual shall be reentitled to a
poverty relief benefit under this section.
``(3)(A) Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), for purposes
of this subsection, the term `benefit month' means a month
for which an individual has--
``(i) attained age 19; and
``(ii) been--
``(I) entitled to a monthly benefit under subsections (a)
through (h) of section 202 or section 223(a); or
``(II) eligible for supplemental security income benefits
under title XVI.
``(B) The term `benefit month' shall not include any month
in which an individual is--
``(i) entitled to a benefit under section 202 that is not
payable or reduced to zero by application of subsection (k),
(n), (t), (u), (v), or (x) of such section and is not
eligible for a benefit under title XVI (or is eligible for a
benefit under such title but the benefit is not payable or
reduced to zero);
``(ii) eligible for a benefit under title XVI that is not
payable or reduced to zero and is not entitled to a benefit
under sections 202 or 223 (or is entitled to a benefit under
such section 202 but the benefit is not payable or reduced to
zero); or
``(iii) subject to a penalty under section 1129A.
``(C) In the case of an individual who is entitled to a
monthly insurance benefit described in subclause (I) of
subparagraph (A)(ii) on the basis of the wages and self-
employment income of more than 1 individual, a benefit month
shall be determined based on the wages and self-employment
income that are the basis of the largest benefit to which
such individual is entitled for such month.
``(d)(1) In no case shall an eligible individual be
entitled to more than 1 poverty relief benefit under this
section for any month.
``(2) For any month in which an eligible individual is
entitled to a monthly benefit described in subsection
(c)(1)(A)(i) on the basis of the wages and self-employment
income of more than 1 individual, a poverty relief benefit
under this section may only be paid for such month on the
basis of the wages and self-employment that are the basis for
the largest monthly benefit to which such individual is
entitled for such month.
``(3) Any amounts provided to an eligible individual
pursuant to this section shall not be regarded as income or
earnings for purposes of determining the eligibility of the
recipient for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent
of benefits or assistance, under any Federal program or under
any State or local program financed in whole or in part with
Federal funds, or the eligibility for or extent of benefits
or assistance under such programs of any individual for whom
the income of the recipient is counted.''.
(b) Railroad Retirement Act.--Section 19 of the Railroad
Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231r) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new
subsection:
``(d)(1) An individual entitled to an annuity component
computed under section 3(a)(1), 4(a)(1), or 4(f)(1) of this
Act shall be entitled to the benefit described in section 235
of the Social Security Act, subject to the requirements and
conditions set forth therein.''; and
(3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by striking
``subsection (a), (b), or (c)'' each place it appears and
inserting ``subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d)''.
(c) Source of Funds.--Subsection (h) of section 201 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401) is amended to read as
follows:
``(h)(1) Benefit payments required to be made under section
223, and benefit payments required to be made under
subsection (b), (c), or (d) of section 202 to individuals
entitled to benefits on the basis of the wages and self-
employment income of an individual entitled to disability
insurance benefits, shall be made only from the Federal
Disability Insurance Trust Fund. All other benefit payments
required to be made under this title (other than sections 226
and 235) shall be made only from the Federal Old-Age and
Survivors Insurance Trust Fund.
``(2) Any benefit payment required to made under section
235 to an individual entitled to
[[Page S2123]]
a poverty relief benefit under such section shall be made--
``(A) in the case of an individual who is also entitled to
a benefit under section 202 or 223, from the same trust fund
from which the individual's benefit under section 202 or 223
is made; and
``(B) in the case of an individual who is not entitled to a
benefit under section 202 or 223, from funds appropriated for
such purpose pursuant to the authorization of appropriations
in section 1601.''.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1601 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381) is amended by striking
``there are authorized'' and all that follows through the
period and inserting the following: ``and to make poverty
relief benefit payments under section 235 to individuals who
are described in section 201(h)(2)(B), there are authorized
to be appropriated sums sufficient to carry out this title
and make such payments.''.
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to benefits payable for months beginning after
November 2018.
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