Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill raises the minimum Social Security benefit for lifetime low earners, tying it to the federal poverty guideline. Workers with 30+ years get 100% of the poverty line, while those with fewer years get a proportional share. It also credits up to 5 years of caring for a child under 6 toward work history.
• Long-term beneficiaries who have been eligible for 16+ years would receive a gradual increase in monthly benefits, reaching a full 5% boost after 20 years. This targets older retirees whose benefits may have lost purchasing power over time.
• Children of retired, disabled, or deceased workers could continue receiving Social Security benefits up to age 26 if they are full-time students at a post-secondary school, up from the current age limit of 19. This extends support during the college and vocational training years.
• To fund these changes, the bill gradually eliminates the payroll tax cap on earnings above the current contribution and benefit base over 10 years (2026-2035), so that eventually all wages are subject to Social Security taxes. It also raises the OASDI tax rate from 6.2% to 6.5% for employees and employers by 2031.
• A new, lower "bend point" of 3% would apply to earnings above the contribution and benefit base, meaning high earners who pay more in would receive some additional benefits — but at a much lower rate of return than typical earners.
• Any extra Social Security benefits resulting from this law would not count as income or resources for purposes of other federal or state means-tested programs, protecting beneficiaries from losing eligibility for programs like Medicaid or SNAP.