Millions Are Getting Less Than $1,000 a Month from Social Security - A New Bill Would Change That

About 5.7 million retired workers were receiving less than $1,000 a month in Social Security benefits at the end of 2025. The Social Security 2100 Act, reintroduced in Congress in June, is designed to lift the minimum benefit for some workers with long histories of low earnings.

Whether you'd benefit depends on a specific formula based on your work history. Here's how to get a general idea of whether the proposal could increase your senior benefits if it becomes law.

The Social Security 2100 Act and the floor it would create

The proposal would increase the minimum benefit for people who spent much of their careers in lower-paying jobs. Under the proposal, the minimum payment would rise with each additional year of qualifying work, reaching 125% of the federal poverty guideline for a single person after 30 years.

The higher minimum would apply only to people who become eligible for Social Security after 2026. Anyone already receiving retirement benefits would keep the same monthly check under this part of the proposal.

How many qualifying years you need

If you expect to become eligible for Social Security in 2027 or later, start by counting your qualifying years. You earn one qualifying year by earning four Social Security credits. In 2026, that means earning at least $7,560 in covered wages during the year.

Under the proposal:

• 11 qualifying years: The new minimum benefit begins at 6.25% of the federal poverty guideline.
• 20 qualifying years: The minimum rises to 62.5% of the poverty guideline.
• 26 qualifying years: The minimum reaches 100% of the poverty guideline.
• 30 or more qualifying years: The minimum reaches its maximum of 125% of the poverty guideline.

If you have 10 or fewer qualifying years, the new minimum would not apply to you.

Estimating your minimum benefit

The federal poverty guideline for a single person is $15,960 a year in 2026 for the 48 contiguous states and D.C. That works out to $1,330 a month, with slightly higher figures in Alaska and Hawaii.

Once you know how many qualifying years you have, match that to the percentage in the bill:

• 20 qualifying years: About $831 a month (62.5% of the guideline)
• 26 qualifying years: About $1,330 a month (100%)
• 30 or more qualifying years: About $1,663 a month (125%)

You can compare that amount with your expected Social Security benefit. If your benefit is lower, this part of the proposal could increase your monthly check.

How your claiming age changes your benefit

The proposed minimum benefit is based on claiming at your full retirement age, which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Filing earlier permanently reduces your monthly check, while waiting past 67 increases it through delayed retirement credits.

For example, a worker who qualifies for the full $1,663 monthly minimum would receive about $1,164 by claiming at 62, or about $2,062 by waiting until 70. Someone with a $1,330 minimum would receive about $931 at age 62. That means your claiming age could still determine whether your monthly benefit ends up above or below $1,000.

Checking whether you'd qualify for more

You can get a good estimate of whether this proposal would affect you by signing in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov.

Start with your estimated monthly benefit at your full retirement age, shown on your Social Security statement. Then check your earnings record and count the years in which you earned four Social Security credits. That tells you which minimum benefit under the proposal applies to you.

Finally, compare your estimated benefit with the new minimum for your qualifying years. If your estimate is lower, this part of the bill could increase your monthly check. If it's already higher, your benefit would likely stay the same under this provision.

Who the new floor is designed to help going forward

Many retirees receiving less than $1,000 a month would likely see no change under this proposal. The higher minimum benefit would apply only to people who become eligible for Social Security after 2026 and is based on benefits claimed at full retirement age.

That leaves out many of the retirees already receiving the smallest checks. Some claimed benefits before reaching full retirement age, permanently reducing their monthly payments. Others receive spousal benefits, while the new minimum applies only to retired-worker benefits based on a person's own earnings record.

Women make up about 60% of retirees receiving less than $1,000 a month and, on average, receive smaller retired-worker benefits than men. That means many of the people most affected by today's lowest benefits would still receive the same monthly check, even if the proposal became law.

Bottom line

The Social Security 2100 Act could raise benefits for future retirees who spend many years working in lower-paying jobs, though it remains a proposal for now.

If you expect to become eligible for Social Security in 2027 or later, take a few minutes to check your benefit estimate and earnings record through your my Social Security account. You'll quickly see whether this proposal could increase your monthly check and have the information you need to make the right moves.