Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act”.
Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act
A BILL
To provide economic recovery payments to recipients of social security, supplemental security income, railroad retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation or pension benefits.
Sec. 2 Economic recovery payments to recipients of social security, supplemental security income, railroad retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation or pension benefits
Authority To make payments—
Eligibility—
In general—
Eligibility for economic recovery payment— Subject to paragraph (5)(C), for any month during the applicable period, the Secretary of the Treasury shall disburse, in accordance with the certification made under subsection (b) by the Commissioner of Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, as applicable, an additional $200 monthly benefit payment to each individual who, for any month during such applicable period—
is entitled to a benefit payment described in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of subparagraph (B), or
is eligible for a SSI cash benefit described in subparagraph (C).
Applicable period— For purposes of this section, the term applicable period means any month during the period beginning on January 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2026.
Benefit payment described— For purposes of subparagraph (A):
Title II benefit— A benefit payment described in this clause is a monthly insurance benefit payable under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), without regard to sections 202(j)(1) and 223(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 402(j)(1), 423(b)).
Railroad retirement benefit— A benefit payment described in this clause is a monthly annuity or pension payment payable under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231 et seq.), without regard to section 5(a)(ii) of such Act (45 U.S.C. 231d(a)(ii)).
Veterans benefit— A benefit payment described in this clause is a compensation or pension payment payable under—
section 1110, 1117, 1121, 1131, 1141, or 1151 of title 38, United States Code;
section 1310, 1312, 1313, 1315, 1316, or 1318 of title 38, United States Code;
section 1513, 1521, 1536, 1537, 1541, 1542, or 1562 of title 38, United States Code; or
section 1805, 1815, or 1821 of title 38, United States Code,
Civil Service Retirement System benefit— A benefit payment described in this clause is an annuity payment under subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code.
SSI cash benefit described— A SSI cash benefit described in this subparagraph is a cash benefit payable under section 1611 (other than under subsection (e)(1)(B) of such section) or 1619(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382, 1382h).
Requirement— A payment shall be made under paragraph (1) only to individuals who reside in 1 of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the determination of the individual's residence shall be based on the current address of record under a program specified in paragraph (1).
No double payments— An individual who is eligible for a payment under this section shall be paid only 1 such payment per month, regardless of whether the individual is entitled to, or eligible for, more than 1 benefit or cash payment described in paragraph (1).
Limitation— A payment under this section shall not be made—
in the case of an individual entitled to a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(B)(i) or a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), if the individual is entitled to such benefit on the basis of section 7(b)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(2)) if, for the most recent month of such individual's entitlement in the applicable period, such individual's benefit under such paragraph was not payable by reason of subsection (x) or (y) of section 202 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402) or section 1129A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–8a);
in the case of an individual entitled to a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(B)(iii) if, for the most recent month of such individual's entitlement in the applicable period, such individual's benefit under such paragraph was not payable, or was reduced, by reason of section 1505, 5313, or 5313B of title 38, United States Code;
in the case of an individual eligible for a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(C) if, for the most recent month in which the individual was so eligible in the applicable period, such individual's benefit under such paragraph was not payable by reason of subsection (e)(1)(A) or (e)(4) of section 1611 (42 U.S.C. 1382) or section 1129A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–8a); or
in the case of any individual whose date of death occurs before the date on which the payment is certified.
Timing and manner of payments—
In general— At the earliest practicable date but in no event later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security, in coordination with the Railroad Retirement Board, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall commence certifying monthly payments under this section. Such payments may be certified to be electronically delivered in the same manner and to the same account identified by the payee or on file with the relevant agency through the applicable benefit program described in paragraph (1).
Notice requirements— The Commissioner of Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (as applicable) shall each, as soon as practicable after payments begin to be issued under this section, provide each individual who is determined to be eligible for such payments with a notice that includes the following:
Information regarding the individual's eligibility for payments under this section, the amount of payments the individual is eligible for, and the manner in which the payments will be delivered.
Notice that the payments under this section are disregarded for Federal income tax purposes and for purposes of determining eligibility for, or the amount of, benefits or assistance under any Federal or Federally-assisted benefit program.
Deadline— No payments shall be disbursed by the Secretary of the Treasury under this section after July 1, 2026, regardless of any determinations of entitlement to, or eligibility for, such payments made after such date.
Identification of recipients—
In general— The Commissioner of Social Security (in coordination with the Railroad Retirement Board, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management) shall—
identify individuals entitled to, or eligible for, more than 1 benefit or cash payment described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) for purposes of ensuring compliance with paragraph (3) of such subsection, and
certify the individuals entitled to receive payments under this section and provide the Secretary of the Treasury with the information needed for the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse such payments.
Subsequent determination of entitlement or eligibility— A certification of an individual under this subsection shall be unaffected by any subsequent determination or redetermination of the individual's entitlement to, or eligibility for, a benefit specified in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (a)(1).
Treatment of payments—
Payment to be disregarded for purposes of all Federal and federally assisted programs— A payment under subsection (a) shall not be regarded as income and shall not be regarded as a resource, for purposes of determining the eligibility of the recipient (or the recipient's spouse or family) for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent of benefits or assistance, under any Federal program or under any State or local program financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.
Payment not considered income for purposes of taxation— A payment under subsection (a) shall not be considered as gross income for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Payments protected from assignment— The provisions of sections 207 and 1631(d)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 407, 1383(d)(1)), section 14(a) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231m(a)), and section 5301 of title 38, United States Code, shall apply to any payment made under subsection (a) as if such payment was a benefit payment or cash benefit to such individual under the applicable program described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (a)(1).
Payments not subject to offset— Notwithstanding section 3716 of title 31, United States Code, any payment made under this section shall not—
be subject to offset under such section; and
be counted towards the amount of the exemption for Federal benefit programs under subsection (c)(3)(A)(ii) of such section.
Payment to representative payees and fiduciaries—
In general— In any case in which an individual who is entitled to a payment under subsection (a) and whose benefit payment or cash benefit described in paragraph (1) of that subsection is paid to a representative payee or fiduciary, the payment under subsection (a) shall be made to the individual's representative payee or fiduciary and the entire payment shall be used only for the benefit of the individual who is entitled to the payment.
Applicability—
Payment on the basis of a title II or SSI benefit— Section 1129(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–8(a)(3)) shall apply to any payment made on the basis of an entitlement to a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(B)(i) or (1)(C) of subsection (a) in the same manner as such section applies to a payment under title II or XVI of such Act.
Payment on the basis of a railroad retirement benefit— Section 13 of the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. 231l) shall apply to any payment made on the basis of an entitlement to a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(B)(ii) of subsection (a) in the same manner as such section applies to a payment under such Act.
Payment on the basis of a veterans benefit— Sections 5502, 6106, and 6108 of title 38, United States Code, shall apply to any payment made on the basis of an entitlement to a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(B)(iii) of subsection (a) in the same manner as those sections apply to a payment under that title.
Appropriation— Out of any sums in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, the following sums are appropriated for fiscal year 2026, to carry out this section:
For the Secretary of the Treasury—
such sums as may be necessary for payments to individuals certified by the Commissioner of Social Security, Railroad Retirement Board, or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as entitled to receive payments under this section; and
$11,000,000 for administrative costs incurred in carrying out this section.
For the Commissioner of Social Security, $83,000,000 for the Social Security Administration's Limitation on Administrative Expenses for costs incurred in carrying out this section.
For the Railroad Retirement Board, $1,100,000 to the Railroad Retirement Board's Limitation on Administration for administrative costs incurred in carrying out this section.
For the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, $3,000,000 for the Information Systems Technology account and $5,000,000 for the General Operating Expenses account for administrative costs incurred in carrying out this section.
For the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, $10,000,000 for administrative costs incurred in carrying out this section.