The $200 SSI increase is a legislative proposal, not a current benefit. The Social Security Expansion Act would add roughly $200 per month to Social Security and SSI checks, but the bill has been introduced in Congress and referred to committee without a floor vote in either chamber.1Congress.gov. S.770 – Social Security Expansion Act 119th Congress (2025-2026) For 2026, the maximum federal SSI payment remains $994 for an individual and $1,491 for a couple after a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment.2Social Security Administration. How Much You Could Get From SSI Anyone contacting you to “activate” the $200 or asking for a fee or personal information to secure it is running a scam.
What the Bill Would Actually Do
The Social Security Expansion Act proposes adding approximately $200 per month, or $2,400 per year, to benefit checks for Social Security and SSI recipients.3Congresswoman Val Hoyle. Hoyle, Sanders, Warren, Schakowsky Introduce Social Security Expansion Act It works by changing the formula the Social Security Administration uses to calculate the primary insurance amount, layering a flat dollar amount on top of whatever you already receive.
A flat increase lands differently at different income levels. Someone getting the maximum $994 SSI payment would see roughly a 20 percent bump. A retiree collecting $2,500 in Social Security would see closer to 8 percent. The design is deliberate: flat-dollar boosts deliver a bigger relative gain to smaller checks.
The $200 would sit on top of any annual COLA rather than replacing it. If inflation drives a 3 percent adjustment in a future year, recipients would still get that percentage increase plus the extra $200.
Where the Bill Stands in Congress
An earlier version of the bill was introduced as S. 393 in the 118th Congress (2023–2024) and did not advance before the session ended.4Congress.gov. S.393 – Social Security Expansion Act Senator Bernie Sanders reintroduced it in the 119th Congress on February 27, 2025, as S. 770, with a companion bill filed as H.R. 1700 in the House.1Congress.gov. S.770 – Social Security Expansion Act 119th Congress (2025-2026) Both versions have been referred to committee. Neither has reached the floor.
Because the bill has not been passed by either chamber or signed by the President, the SSA has no authority to pay the proposed $200. No retroactive payments are on the table. Recipients continue to receive benefits calculated under existing rules with the 2.8 percent COLA for 2026.5Social Security Administration. Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information Committee activity is trackable on Congress.gov, and that is the only reliable place to follow whether the bill moves.
A proposal that expands benefits while raising taxes on higher earners faces steep political headwinds, and similar bills have been introduced in past sessions without advancing. Budgeting on the assumption that the $200 is coming soon would be a mistake.
Other Changes Bundled Into the Same Bill
The $200 is the headline number, but it is not the only piece. The bill also targets how future cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. COLAs are currently tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W.6Social Security Administration. Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments and the Consumer Price Index The bill would switch to the CPI-E (Consumer Price Index for the Elderly), which weights healthcare costs more heavily. The CPI-E has historically grown faster than the CPI-W.7Congress.gov. A Hypothetical Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment Based on the CPI-E
For SSI recipients specifically, the most consequential piece may be the proposed change to resource limits. Right now, you lose eligibility for SSI if your countable assets exceed $2,000 as an individual or $3,000 as a couple.8Social Security Administration. Who Can Get SSI Those thresholds have barely moved in decades. The bill would raise them to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for couples, which would let recipients hold a modest emergency fund without triggering a loss of benefits. The SSA’s existing exclusions for a primary home, one vehicle, and a designated burial fund would stay in place.9Social Security Administration. Understanding Supplemental Security Income SSI Resources – 2025 Edition
None of these changes would alter who qualifies for SSI. The program remains a needs-based benefit for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and who have very limited income and resources.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC Chapter 7, Subchapter XVI – Supplemental Security Income for Aged, Blind, and Disabled
What SSI Pays in 2026
The 2.8 percent COLA that took effect for 2026 brought the maximum monthly federal SSI payment to:5Social Security Administration. Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
- $994 for an eligible individual
- $1,491 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse
Most recipients get less than these maximums because SSI reduces your payment based on other income you receive, after certain exclusions. Some states add their own supplement, ranging from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per month depending on where you live. The federal numbers are the floor.
If It Passed, How the $200 Could Affect Other Benefits
A $200 SSI increase would not exist in isolation. SSI payments count as income for other means-tested programs, so a higher check could shrink benefits elsewhere.
SNAP is the clearest example. SNAP benefits are calculated by taking 30 percent of your countable income and subtracting it from the maximum benefit. A $200 jump in monthly SSI would increase your countable income for SNAP purposes and reduce your food assistance. The offset would not be dollar-for-dollar because of how SNAP deductions work, but recipients who currently receive both should expect some reduction in food benefits if the bill passes.
Medicaid is a smaller concern. In most states, SSI recipients automatically qualify for Medicaid based on eligibility status rather than the dollar amount of the check, so a higher SSI payment generally would not jeopardize coverage. Recipients who work and earn above SSI limits can keep Medicaid under Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act as long as they remain disabled and meet other conditions.11Social Security Administration. SSI Spotlight on Continued Medicaid Eligibility for People Who Work
SSI payments themselves are never subject to federal income tax, and the proposed increase would not change that.
Scams Tied to the $200 Increase
Every time a benefit increase makes the news, scammers move in. The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General has specifically warned about criminals contacting people with offers to “activate” a benefit increase or help you “apply” for extra money.12SSA Office of the Inspector General. Offers to Increase Your Social Security Benefit Are from Criminals These come by phone, text, email, and social media, and they are getting more convincing.
The real SSA will not ask you to pay a fee to receive a benefit increase, demand payment by gift card or cryptocurrency, or threaten to suspend your benefits if you don’t hand over your Social Security number on the spot. If someone contacts you about an SSI increase you didn’t initiate, hang up or ignore the message. Suspected scams can be reported directly to the OIG.13SSA Office of the Inspector General. Report Fraud
If the Social Security Expansion Act ever becomes law, the SSA will implement the increase automatically for current recipients. You will not need to apply, pay anyone, or share information with a third party to receive it.