Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
This bill, the Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026, proposes to allow caregivers of dependent relatives to receive ‘deemed wages’ for up to five years of service. These deemed wages would be calculated based on a percentage of the national average wage index, even if the caregiver didn't actually receive monetary compensation for their care. The bill aims to recognize the economic impact of caregiving and provide potential retirement security for unpaid caregivers, addressing a gap in Social Security benefits for certain home care providers.
Key provisions
- Creates a ‘deemed wage’ credit for caregivers of dependent relatives.
- Defines a ‘qualifying month’ as a period of at least 80 hours of caregiving without monetary compensation.
- Establishes criteria for determining ‘dependent relative’ status, including children, elderly relatives, and individuals requiring significant assistance.
- Specifies how ‘deemed wages’ will be calculated, using a percentage of the national average wage index.
- Limits the number of qualifying months considered to the last 60.
- Requires applicants to provide documentation and certification to verify caregiving status.
- The Commissioner of Social Security will create regulations to prevent fraud and abuse.
Who is affected
- Unpaid caregivers of dependent relatives
- Dependent relatives (children, elderly, disabled)
- Social Security recipients
Bill text
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Sponsors
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5 on record
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
![Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Norton](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcivik-platform-media-us-east-1-prod.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Flegislator-portraits%2Fcongress%2FN000147.jpg&w=64&q=75){kind=small}
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