Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2021
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Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2021
This bill increases certain Social Security taxes and benefits.
Under current law, Social Security has a taxable earnings base, which refers to the maximum amount of a worker's earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes (set at $148,200 in 2021). Additionally, the taxable earnings base serves as the maximum amount of earnings used to calculate a worker's Social Security benefits.
This bill gradually increases the Social Security payroll tax rate from 6.2% to 6.5% over six years. It also phases out the taxable earnings base, thereby applying the payroll taxes to a greater amount of a worker's earnings, and revises the method to calculate a worker's Social Security benefits to account for earnings in excess of the taxable earnings base.
Other changes to benefits include establishing a new method to calculate benefits for lifetime low earners and increasing benefits for certain beneficiaries on account of long-term eligibility. In addition, an eligible child of a retired, disabled, or deceased worker may continue to receive benefits through age 26, provided the child is a full-time student.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Social Security.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5050: Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2021. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-5050/
"H.R. 5050: Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2021." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-5050/.
H.R. 5050, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-5050/.
[H.R. 5050: Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2021](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-5050/)