7 Ways Social Security Could Change If Democrats Get Reelected

The next administration will heavily influence Social Security's direction as the program approaches funding pressures in the 2030s. Regardless of your politics, the next administration will have a significant impact on your check.

Democrats have repeatedly said they'll protect benefits and strengthen the program's finances, largely by asking higher earners to contribute more and by improving protections for lower-income retirees, caregivers, and survivors. See what could happen to your senior benefits if the Democrats get reelected.

Raising or reopening the payroll tax for high earners

President Biden has long backed applying Social Security payroll taxes to wages above $400,000. In this model, current-law taxes would stop at the annual wage base, but restart for very high income levels.

Progressive Democrats go even further. The Social Security Expansion Act from Sen. Bernie Sanders and allies would subject earnings above $250,000 and certain investment income to Social Security taxes. Practically, this would increase program revenues without touching current benefits or earnings for middle-income workers.

Expanding benefits for low-income retirees and caregivers

Rep. John Larson's Social Security 2100 proposals would set a minimum benefit at least 25% above the poverty line and add caregiver credits so time out of the paid workforce doesn't permanently depress a retiree's benefit.

The Democrats have also repeatedly reintroduced the idea of a separate, stand-alone Social Security Caregiver Credit Act. This would credit up to five years of deemed wages for unpaid family caregiving. In the Senate, Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have pushed across-the-board benefit bumps and stronger minimums alongside revenue increases.

Adopting a COLA formula that tracks seniors' costs

Today's cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). This index, as the name suggests, is built around workers' spending.

Several Democratic bills would switch to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). This gives weight to health care and housing more heavily, potentially producing slightly larger annual COLAs for older households. Sanders' S.770 and Larson's 2100 acts explicitly replace the COLA statute with CPI-E.

A Congressional Research Service brief lists multiple House and Senate proposals from Democrats to use CPI-E. The practical effect is incremental but compounding and meaningful. A few extra tenths of a percent each year can add up over a long retirement.

Protecting spousal and survivor benefits

Recent Democratic packages include targeted boosts for widows and widowers in two-earner households to reduce the drop-off when a spouse dies. Separately, Congress already ended the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) in 2025. This reduced benefits for many public sector retirees and surviving spouses.

Democrats championed that repeal and would be expected to defend it in the next term. For beneficiaries, these protections mean fewer abrupt drops in income tied to complex offsets and better continuity for surviving spouses.

Resisting proposals to raise the full retirement age

Democratic leaders have repeatedly signaled opposition to increasing the full retirement age (FRA), framing it as a benefit cut. President Biden, with respect to raising retirement age, declared, "Not on my watch."

House and Senate Democrats have also used committee statements and campaign documents to draw the same line. If reelected, it's expected that Democrats would continue to resist FRA hikes, with the focus instead on raising new revenue and targeted benefit improvements.

Strengthening the trust fund with new funding mechanisms

Beyond lifting the taxable cap, Democrats are floating ideas of additional income streams. Sanders' S.770 would apply a Social Security-dedicated levy to certain investment income by substantially increasing the net investment income tax rate and broadening its base, while also applying payroll tax again above $250,000 of wages and self-employment income.

The Sanders/Warren/Hoyle coalition argues this mix both extends the Social Security program's solvency and funds across-the-board benefit increases. This would relieve much of the anxiety for retirees worried about their benefits heading into the 2030s.

Improving administration and service, not just formulas

Democrats have also pressed for more SSA administrative funding to reduce wait times, reopen or preserve field offices, and improve customer service. Budget analyses noted the FY2025 request significantly increased SSA's operating funds.

Lawmakers led by Sen. Warren urged the SSA to keep field offices open amid facility reviews, citing the need for in-person help for millions of beneficiaries. While not a direct benefit change, smoother administration would result in faster claims and appeals, and accurate payments and adjustments.

Bottom line

If Democrats get reelected and gain enough votes in Congress, the most immediate effects retirees could notice are a different COLA calculation if CPI-E is adopted, enhancements for low-income workers and caregivers, and stronger survivor protections.

Over the longer run, higher contributions from very high earners via a reopened payroll tax above $250,000 or $400,000 and possibly on certain investment income, are intended to secure the solvency and future of the Social Security program without cutting current benefits. None of this is guaranteed without congressional votes, and campaign promises aren't set in stone.

However, keeping yourself up to date on the actual bills, like Sanders' Social Security Expansion Act and Larson's Social Security 2100 proposals, will give you the best read on what could become law and how it might affect your retirement plan and your monthly benefit.

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