H.R. 9763 — SWIFT Act of 2026

This section expands eligibility for unreduced widow's, widower's, and surviving divorced spouse insurance benefits to individuals with disabilities at any age by removing the prior requirement that they have attained age 50 but not attained age 60. It eliminates benefit reductions for disabled claimants before retirement age and applies to determinations on or after January 1, 2027.

This section increases the maximum age of a child whose care qualifies a wife or divorced wife for wife's insurance benefits to 18 (or 19 for full-time elementary or secondary school students) (from 16). The change applies to benefit eligibility and amounts determined on or after January 1, 2027.

This section modifies the cap on widow's, widower's, and surviving divorced spouse insurance benefits when the deceased spouse received a reduced old-age benefit. The cap is set at the greater of the deceased's reduced benefit amount or 82.5 percent of the deceased's primary insurance amount. It also establishes delayed-claiming increases for these survivor benefits, effective for months beginning on or after January 1, 2027, calculated at a rate of 28.5 percent spread over the months between early retirement age and full retirement age, up to the higher of the deceased's primary insurance amount or unreduced old-age benefit.

This section disregards any additional income from increased or newly eligible Social Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act when determining continued eligibility for, and amounts of, benefits under other federal programs or state or local programs financed in whole or in part with federal funds, for individuals receiving such benefits on the effective date of the amendments made by this Act. The disregard ends for any individual who later loses eligibility for those other benefits.

This section requires the Commissioner of Social Security to publish, by January 1, 2027, a booklet containing information on title II survivors benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses, including interactions between old-age and survivors insurance benefits, claiming procedures and timing effects on benefit amounts, the lump-sum death benefit, and contact methods. It directs the Commissioner to mail the booklet to each such survivor within 30 days after the Social Security Administration learns of a death occurring on or after January 1, 2027.