WTAJ: New Bill From Senator Casey “Would Fix Outdated And Arbitrary Restrictions On Social Security Benefits For Widows, Widowers And Surviving Divorced Spouses”
Bradford Era: “The Bill Would Ultimately Increase Social Security Benefits For More Than One Million Americans”
PENNSYLVANIA — Senator Bob Casey is continuing his fight to strengthen Social Security with the Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act. Introduced last week, the SWIFT Act fixes outdated regulations on Social Security benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses. This would make a real difference in the lives of many widows and surviving divorced spouses who face high hurdles to accessing Social Security benefits, despite facing high levels of poverty.
Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth have been reading and hearing about how Senator Casey is working to expand Social Security benefits and help widows get the aid they deserve.
Read the coverage below:
WTAJ: Casey introduces bill to expand social security benefits
- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) has introduced the Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act.
- Official poverty rates of widow(er)s receiving Social Security benefits are nearly twice as high as those of retired workers and spouses. Widow(er)s caring for children and those with disabilities have among the highest rates of all Social Security recipients.
The Bradford Era: Casey introduces bill to expand Social Security benefits
- The bill would ultimately increase Social Security benefits for more than one million Americans.
Times-Leader: Casey bill would expand Social Security benefits
- U.S. Sen. Bob Casey on Thursday said Social Security is a lifeline for many older adults and people with disabilities.“Yet because of outdated rules that disproportionately affect women, many of those who rely on Social Security the most are not receiving all the benefits they need and deserve,” Casey said. “The SWIFT Act will modernize Social Security and help the program keep its promise of a financially secure retirement for all Americans.”
WTAE Pittsburgh: SWIFT Act
- US Senator Bob Casey introduced a bill to fix restrictions on Social Security benefits for widows, widowers and surviving divorced spouses. The SWIFT Act would allow widows, widowers and surviving divorced spouses with disabilities to receive one hundred percent of the survivor benefits regardless of their age; give them the ability to increase the value of their survivor benefits beyond the current arbitrary cap; enable those caring for children to receive child-in-care benefits until their children are 18, or 19 or if still in school; and require the federal government to proactively provide information to them about benefits that they’re eligible for, claiming options, and important deadlines.
KDKA Pittsburgh: Sen. Casey Expanding Social Security
- Senator Bob Casey wants to expand Social Security benefits for those who have lost a spouse and surviving divorcees. Casey says they are more likely to experience poverty and he claims the current system is outdated and makes it difficult to access and maximize benefits. His bill would also provide child care benefits until kids reach the age of 18 or 19, if they are still in school.
My ChesCo: U.S. Senator Bob Casey Proposes the SWIFT Act to Modernize Social Security Benefits
- The proposed SWIFT Act aims to modernize Social Security by:
- Allowing widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses with disabilities to receive 100% of the survivor benefit they are entitled to, regardless of their age.
- Giving widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses the ability to increase the value of their survivor benefits beyond the current arbitrary cap.
- Enabling widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses caring for children to receive child-in-care benefits until their children are age 18 or 19 if still in school.
- Requiring the federal government to proactively provide information to widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses about benefits they are eligible for, claiming options, and important deadlines.
GANT News: Casey Introduces Bill to Expand Social Security Benefits
- [The bill] has been endorsed by the National Committee To Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, the National Association of Disability Representatives, the Alliance for Retired Americans, Justice in Aging, the Arc of the United States, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, AFSCME, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Reps, AFL-CIO, and AFGE.
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