A new bill is working its way through the Congress that not only promises to lower taxes and expand relief but also, it could affect how millions of the public will quietly be able to take advantage of Social Security and government support, say some advocates. Now, the “One Big Beautiful Bill, Act” is a broad law that was passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025. However, it was passed with only a few votes in favor. The Senate is the next stop for it. The first impression tends to be that one is looking at an ordinary tax reform bill that has been supported by the administration of President Trump.
Yet, in the depths of the bill lay some modifications that might change the way some citizens are eligible to get government support. These involve the issue of Social Security numbers, the income level required for eligibility, and the limitations which have an impact on the poor.
If you haven’t heard anything about it, here’s what the bill has!
It’s Not Exactly a Social Security Cut — It’s More of a Gatekeeping Change
Although this bill does not involve making cuts in the payments of Social Security, it still trends to determine the beneficiaries of the different programs, particularly of those related to the tax system.
For instance, the Child Tax Credit and Premium Tax Credits for health insurance are the two stipulated tax credits, which many non-citizens are allowed to take by using their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). However, with the new bill in place, only the rightful owner of a Social Security number can ask for the credits.
This means that people who have an ITIN and the low-income households they come from (most of them are legal residents or mixed-status families) cannot get a single penny from the tax support pool.
Why That May Have Side Effects on the Social Security Programs
Not merely for benefits tracking, also is the use of the Social Security numbers by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for the determination of eligibility across federal systems.
As a result, any change that strengthens the requirements for Social Security numbers for one benefit may cause a freezing effect on others, especially when there is an overlapping of benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, and SSI.
For example, a family which received SSI payments for a disabled child who then become ineligible for tax credits due to an employed adult without a qualifying SSN in the household could encounter a financial problem. The decrease in income could lead to delays, recertification reviews, or even funding interruptions.
Remittance Fees and “Benefit Gaps” Could Put More Pressure on Finances
The bill also proposes to include a fee that would be charged to the money sent by migrants to families abroad. This means that the fees would be levied also against those who have the legal right to reside in the U.S. but send money to their relatives abroad.
The new benefit limits coupled with the above charges mandates families who are Social Security recipients, but are also in other forms of support, to be subjected to growing financial pressure if the bill is passed into law.
Who Are the Likely Targets?
The effect on the people should be mostly on the following
- Immigrant families who use ITINs instead of SSNs
- Low-income households that combine earned income with benefits like SNAP or SSI
- The parents of disabled children who receive SSI and also receive tax credits
- Older adults in mixed-status households where not all members filter_list
These groups can still potentially get the benefits from the government they are entitling to, but the funds can be disrupted too by one of the sources e.g. Social Security, contributing to the overall financial instability of the family.
Well, What’s Next?
The bill will now be sent to the Senate where a number of changes and amendments are very likely to take place. Additionally, the Social Security retirement and SSDI payments are not affected by the bill so far.
Skeptics claim this to be the first bill in many years that has made the social security number a mandatory requirement in more than one of the benefits programs, hence it sets matters for upcoming policy changes.
The bill is supposed to be signed into law in October, and parts of it that are being implemented could go live as early as January 2026. Besides, changes in tax years, if any, will appear on next spring’s returns.
No, It’s Not a Cut — Just a Gate Closing
This law would not cut your Social Security paycheck next month; but it may mean, unnoticed to you, that some of the tax credits, income support, and access pathways which are common recourse for the needy will be taken away, particularly if they don’t follow the new ID requirements.
At the moment, the wise course of action to take is to stay updated, get online or ask for information from your SSA account, track your eligibility — as the case may be a letter would not come as a change but a line unnoticed.
