Social Security recipients would get extra $200 a month under lawmaker plan
America’s 78 million Social Security recipients would get an extra $200 a month under a proposal championed by a group of Democratic lawmakers.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act in late 2025. The measure, which includes a $200-per-month increase for Social Security recipients, as well as Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, railroad retirement, disabled veterans and those receiving veterans’ pensions, has been championed by The Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group for senior citizens.
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“The proposed payments would be tax-free and protected from garnishment, ensuring beneficiaries receive the full amount,” TSCL said in its most recent legislative update, adding the measure would provide “immediate financial relief for beneficiaries struggling with today’s high costs.”
The average Social Security payment is $2,086 per month. The latest estimate from TSCL shows benefits are on track for a 3.2% Cost of Living Adjustment for 2027, adding roughly $70 a month to payments. That’s not enough to cover the ongoing impacts of inflation, experts contend.
The extra $200 in the bill would be on top of any COLA increase.
The bill remains in the Senate Finance Committee and would require an important update if passed. The relief period written into the original bill – January through June 2026 – has already passed so those dates would have to be updated during the markup process if the legislation moves forward.
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Joining Warren in sponsoring the bill are Democrats Mark Kelly of Arizona, Alex Padilla of California, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer of New York, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Peter Welch of Vermont.