Senator Sanders proposes $200 monthly boost for Social Security beneficiaries

Senator Bernie Sanders is championing a legislative package that would increase Social Security payouts by $200 per month for nearly all current recipients, effectively adding $2,400 to annual income. The measure, dubbed the “Bernie Bump,” would apply to retirees, disability recipients and survivor beneficiaries, and would be layered on top of the regular benefit and any cost-of-living adjustment. It also proposes shifting the COLA calculation to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, which gives greater weight to health-care costs, and reinstating payroll taxes on wages exceeding $250,000, while exempting 91% of households from the new tax.

Sanders warns that without action, the program’s trust funds could be exhausted by 2032, leading to a 22% benefit reduction. The legislation, introduced as the Social Security Expansion Act, has not yet been passed and has no set start date. Until Congress acts, beneficiaries will continue receiving payments under the existing system.