A new bipartisan proposal in Congress is looking to modernize how families apply for Social Security survivor benefits. Representatives Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, and Gabe Evans, a Colorado Republican, introduced the Survivor Benefits Application Modernization Act on Wednesday. The legislation would require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to create online tools allowing surviving spouses, children and dependent parents to schedule appointments and eventually file survivor benefit applications digitally.
"When a family loses a parent, spouse, or breadwinner, the last thing they should have to deal with is a maze of administrative red tape just to access the benefits their loved one earned through a lifetime of hard work," Davids said in a statement. "This bipartisan bill would make it easier for families to get those benefits on their own, without having to navigate unnecessary hurdles during an already difficult time." If enacted, this could affect hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. According to SSA data, approximately 5.8 million people received survivor benefits as of April.
Newsweek reached out to the Social Security Administration for comment. Applying for survivor benefits is often one of the first financial challenges families face after the death of a spouse or parent. While many Social Security benefits can be claimed online, survivor benefits generally still require applicants to interact directly with the SSA through scheduled appointments and physical paperwork.
That could bring along unnecessary delays at a time when many grieving families urgently need financial support. Under the legislation, the SSA would be required to launch an online self-scheduling portal for survivor benefit applicants within 180 days of the law’s enactment. There would also be a new online system allowing eligible beneficiaries to complete and submit survivor benefit applications within one year.
In three years, Congress would analyze a report examining administrative cost savings and instances of fraud or identity theft deriving from the law. This will indeed help people who are well-versed in technology,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. However, Thompson cautioned that some beneficiaries may be resistant to the new tech systems implemented under the law.
The average monthly survivor benefit across all categories was approximately $1,626. Neither do property taxes, utilities or most of the basic costs of running a household.” The bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives and will need to advance through the committee process before it can receive votes in the House and Senate. If ultimately signed into law, the legislation would set deadlines for the SSA to create both an online appointment scheduling system and a fully digital survivor benefits application process.
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